Microsoft Confirms 10-Year Commitment to Bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Platforms

Microsoft has officially revealed a landmark agreement that will see the acclaimed Call of Duty franchise return to Nintendo hardware for the first time in nearly a decade.

This significant move follows Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind the storied first-person shooter series.

With a new 10-year commitment, Microsoft aims to expand accessibility to Call of Duty, ensuring the series reaches a broader audience on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch. Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Head of Xbox, announced the multi-year commitment through his official channels.

In his statement, Spencer affirmed, “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 dedicated to enabling more people around the world to play as they choose.” This expanded access underlines Microsoft’s stated goal of making high-profile games more widely available beyond its own ecosystem. In a follow-up message, Spencer also confirmed that Microsoft intends to keep Call of Duty available to PC gamers via Valve’s Steam platform.

He stated, “Microsoft will continue to provide Call of Duty on Steam at the same time as Xbox, once the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King is complete.” This announcement arrives shortly after news that Microsoft presented Sony with a similar 10-year deal to maintain the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation systems.

Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft, reiterated the company’s openness to extending these long-term agreements, stating, “Our acquisition will bring Call of Duty to more gamers and more platforms than ever before.

That benefits both competition and consumers.

We are happy to extend the same 10-year PlayStation agreement, whenever Sony wishes to discuss.” Call of Duty last appeared on a Nintendo platform with releases such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Since then, the franchise has been largely absent from Nintendo consoles, with fans calling for its return.

The newly announced decade-long commitment not only revives the series on Nintendo hardware but could potentially introduce the property to millions of new players via the Nintendo Switch and future Nintendo platforms. This move aligns with Microsoft’s broader strategy of making its biggest franchises available across various platforms, reinforcing competition and consumer choice in the gaming industry.

As the acquisition of Activision Blizzard moves forward, industry watchers and gamers alike will be keen to follow how this partnership shapes the future of major franchises on global platforms such as Nintendo Switch, Valve’s Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Nintendo Activision Microsoft Nintendo hardware Call of Duty Activision Blizzard Phil Spencer Valve Steam Xbox Brad Smith Sony PlayStation Nintendo Switch