Microsoft might stop the annual release of Call of Duty games

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Of course, Bloomberg might be a trusted publication, but you still shouldn't take their word for Activision's. Until Activision or the publisher's new owners, Microsoft, confirms anything, you should take everything that you just read with a grain of salt.

We wouldn't be surprised if Activision drops the annual schedule. Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty: Vanguard might have sold well (albeit still down from previous installments), but several outlets suggest that the game had a high return rate. Not to mention, players are generally unhappy with the way that things are going. Although Activision has since promised to address any in-game-related concerns, the publisher might have already realized that maintaining several games at once while releasing a new one every year might put too much strain on its studios.

Activision Blizzard has seen better days. The publisher is dealing with ongoing reports of workplace harassment and employee misconduct. It's gotten to the point that Bobby Kotick has confirmed that he won't hesitate to resign if he can't turn things around. But, we don't see that happening anymore since he'll be leaving once Microsoft closes the deal anyway.

Bloomberg also reported that Activision expects more creative freedom under Microsoft's management. Here's to hoping that this means that Microsoft will relegate some of Activision Blizzard's studios to work on some of the publisher's forgotten IPs. At the moment, Activision Blizzard is sitting on a treasure trove of iconic franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

In other news, Kotick recently addressed the Microsoft acquisition and mentioned that he hopes that the deal will inspire Activision Blizzard to improve in the meantime. Meanwhile, Sony's stock took a nosedive following the announcement with a Sony spokesperson later releasing a statement saying that the company still expects Activision to continue releasing games for PlayStation consoles.