• For months now the access to Call of Duty games has been a significant talking point in the pending Microsoft deal to purchase Activision Blizzard. 
• Microsoft still faces regulatory pushback on the deal, but it is going to great lengths to prove that its acquisition is a win for the entire gaming industry.
• The latest move outlines a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo devices.

The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft continues to drag on, as regulators in the UK and US probe all facets of the deal which could shake up the entire gaming industry drastically. While a final verdict is yet to materialise, Microsoft is making every effort to showcase why the acquisition is a good thing, with the latest being a commitment to Nintendo.

To that end, Xbox head Phil Spencer recently tweeted out that Microsoft intends to commit to bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo devices over a period of 10 years. Crucially, however, that commitment can only manifest if said Activision Blizzard deal is completed, according to Spencer.

Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King.  Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play. @ATVI_AB

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 7, 2022

Arguably the biggest franchise in the Activision Blizzard stable at the moment, Call of Duty has proved a contentious issue regarding this pending deal, as the likes of Sony have cited potentially restricted access for PlayStation console owners as an issue.

Microsoft has said that there is no intention to limit access, but will instead look to make access to its titles available across multiple platforms.

“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,” noted Microsoft president Brad Smith in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal.

While the company has laid out its intentions, Sony did not get the same commitment that Nintendo just did.

With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US reportedly still to be convinced of the worthiness of this deal, and potentially sue the company in order to block the deal, it looks like Microsoft will have to fully illustrate how it intends to keep the gaming industry fair and balanced should the deal be concluded.