2022 kicked off with some massive gaming news that could already contend for biggest story of the year, Microsoft's acquisition of Activision-Blizzard as reported by the New York Times.
With this move, Microsoft would take on some of the biggest IPs in gaming today - a list including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and plenty more.
With players not knowing what to expect from the move, one question is coming up quite often. Will Call of Duty be an Xbox exclusive?
Here's what we know, and what players can expect from the future of Call of Duty and its platforms.
Will Call of Duty be exclusive to Xbox?
While much of Activision-Blizzard's potential acquisition is unclear, one thing that is a bit more solved is the future of the company's games and their available platforms.
On the topic, Activision-Blizzard representatives have stated the following:
"Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward."
With this, we don't believe Microsoft has any intention to make Call of Duty an Xbox or Microsoft exclusive, instead keeping it available on all platforms it's already played on.
What's Next for Call of Duty under Microsoft?
The logistics of Activision-Blizzard and its titles under Microsoft is still not fully sorted, at least in any public sense. Comments reported by WoWHead suggest that the company intends to have Activision-Blizzard business run through Microsoft's Phil Spencer, and many are speculating that current Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will leave the position after the acquisition is finalized (though both parties have confirmed intention for Kotick to hold his position until this point in time at the least).
With this, Call of Duty could see some new adaptations in the future - though it's important to note that the timeline and release of the upcoming Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, slated for 2022, will likely be entirely unaffected by the move.
With that, if we do see any significant change to Call of Duty in the near future, it'll be after the acquisition in 2023.