If the Activision Blizzard acquisition pushes through, Microsoft promised to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo and its consoles, according to Engadget.
On Twitter, Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming's CEO, has announced the company's commitment to bring the game to Nintendo consoles.
Spencer tweeted that the company is committed to helping bring more games to more people, in whatever manner they choose to play.
Microsoft Enters Into a 10-year Commitment to Bring Call of Duty to Nintendo
On Twitter, Spencer said that following the merger of the companies, Microsoft will enter into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo, as per CNET.
In addition, he also announced that after the deal is closed, Microsoft will continue to offer Call of Duty on Steam, alongside the Xbox.
During a previous interview, Microsoft Gaming's CEO said that Microsoft intends to treat Call of Duty in the same manner as Minecraft.
It means that the company aims to make it available across platforms. He also said that he would love to see the game on Switch.
The 10-year commitment promised by Microsoft could possibly mean that the Call of Duty franchise will also be released for the current Switch's successors.
The deal between the tech company and Activision Blizzard, the publishers of Call of Duty, depends on US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The two companies have previously stated that they are expecting the deal to be finalized by the middle of 2023.
Many government bodies, including the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, expressed their concerns regarding the merger. This is due to the size of the deal, as well as its potential impact on the games industry.
A company as huge as Microsoft merging with a company as big as Activision Blizzard has raised monopoly concerns from many different bodies.
However, the 10-year deal that ensures Activision Blizzard's biggest game franchise would be released on a non-Microsoft game console, could appease the concerns of the many different parties.
FTC to Discuss Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Acquisition
According to The New York Times, Microsoft's announcement could be the company's move to mollify FTC. The commission is expected to talk about the acquisition in a closed-door meeting on Thursday. The agency is also expected to decide whether to take steps to block the deal.
Microsoft announced its $69 billion bid for Activision Blizzard in January of this year. The acquisition is the biggest ever in the video game business.
According to Variety, FTC is reportedly planning to launch a lawsuit that would seek to block the deal. The regulators are concerned that Microsoft could possibly favor its own Xbox consoles for Activision Blizzard titles. This might come at the expense of rivals like Sony and Nintendo.
On the other hand, there is an active investigation by the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority antitrust regulator. They are looking at the possibility that the deal would reduce competition in the games industry.
The Call of Duty franchise is Activision Blizzard's best-selling game. According to the game publisher, the latest installment of the called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II already reached $1 billion in worldwide sales in just the first 10 days after it was released on October 28.
Related Article: Microsoft Lays Off 1,850 Employees As It Quits Its Nokia Phone Business Experiment
