The Call of Duty franchise has made Activision Blizzard over $30 billion in revenue since the first game came out in 2003. So, can you blame Sony for worrying that Microsoft, its chief rival in the gaming space, will own the marquee shooter series?

As Microsoft continues forward with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the tech giant has contended with public criticism and an anxious gaming community. To make matters worse, the pile of regulatory bodies investigating the deal continues to grow.

In the meantime, the CEO of Microsoft gaming, Phil Spencer, is using this time to tell audiences all the positive news that the buyout will bring. For example, Game Pass will benefit from the addition of Overwatch, Diablo, and Call of Duty, as soon as the authorities approve the sale. Spencer also guarantees that Microsoft won't be keeping Call of Duty to itself once that happens. At least, not for a while.

Here's what Spencer sent his PlayStation contemporary in a written letter, as per The Verge:

In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract, an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements.

Keeping Call of Duty on the PlayStation platform is in Microsoft's best interests. Then again, you could have said the same about Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI.

Hopefully, Sony is taking the proactive approach. PlayStation Studios has more than twenty studios under its umbrella. We're pretty sure they'll find a way to build a worthy contender to Call of Duty in the next few years once the inevitable Xbox exclusivity happens.

In the meantime, PlayStation fans can enjoy first dibs on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as the upcoming Call of Duty game kicks off its first multiplayer open beta campaign on the 16th, just a day after Call of Duty Next takes place.