Sony finally signs "binding agreement" to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation

Despite these encouraging messages from Microsoft, the specifics of the agreement with Sony have remained shrouded in mystery. At the year's end, Microsoft extended a 10-year olive branch to Sony, only to see it shot down. As part of their bid to gain the favor of regulatory bodies such as the FTC and CMA, Microsoft had signed an agreement with Nintendo that's guaranteed to bring the series to future consoles of the company and managed to strike similar agreements with cloud gaming providers like NVIDIA.

Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, who had made his opposition to Microsoft's Activision bid apparent, is likely to have had little choice but to compromise with its competitor in the face of the looming acquisition. Its contestation over the acquisition had Sony fighting tooth and nail in regulatory proceedings across the US, the UK, and Europe. The FTC's legal defeat seems to have served as the turning point for Sony, pushing it into settlement mode.

Unfortunately, with this new deal between Sony and Microsoft happening with the former having little to no leverage, we're curious to see if the terms remain the same or if Microsoft gave its rival a "low-ball" offer if only to rub salt on the wound.

At the very least, the new agreement should extend throughout the remainder of the PlayStation 5's lifespan, and perhaps even beyond. Despite Sony's initial resistance, the realities of business and the immensity of the revenues that the franchise generates on its platform have ultimately dictated the terms of the agreement.

Critics initially viewed Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal as a means to make Call of Duty exclusive to a single console. The recent agreement with Sony has alleviated this concern, albeit temporarily. This isn't to say that other Activision Blizzard franchises are in the clear. Keep in mind that Microsoft has already set a precedent with Bethesda Softworks, starting with the much-maligned Redfall and the highly anticipated Starfield, which continues to attract equal parts controversy and hype.

Having said that, with the regulatory situation in the UK still under a cloud, the world awaits the resolution of Microsoft's proposed deal. Microsoft, along with the CMA, agreed earlier this week to pause their legal disputes to consider how the transaction might be modified to address the CMA's cloud gaming concerns.

It remains to be seen how the players, the industry, and the gaming world, in general, will react to this change, but what's certain is that the Call of Duty franchise will continue to have a broad and diversified presence across platforms.

That, and the fact that the gaming community will miss the official leaks that came out of the proceedings. So far, neither Microsoft, Nintendo, nor Activision Blizzard have confirmed that a Call of Duty entry is coming to the new Nintendo Switch or the release date for this year's Call of Duty installment.