Microsoft Signs Legally Binding Contract to Bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Platforms for 10 Years - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 21 February 2023 / 2,998 Views
Microsoft announced it has signed a "binding 10-year legal agreement" to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo platforms if Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition is approved.
The new legally binding agreement will guarantee Call of Duty games will release on Nintendo platforms the same day as Xbox with "full feature and content parity." This is so those on Nintendo platforms "can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty."
"We are committed to providing long term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, brining more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market," reads the statement from Microsoft.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) February 21, 2023
The last Call of Duty game released on a Nintendo platform was 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U.
Previously Microsoft had entered a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms, as well as committing to keep releasing Call of Duty on Steam alongside Xbox after the deal closes.
Microsoft has also previously stated it offered a similar agreement with Sony.
"We’ve offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new Call of Duty release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox," said Microsoft president Brad Smith at the time. "We’re open to providing the same commitment to other platforms and making it legally enforceable by regulators in the US, UK, and European Union."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.