Unfortunately, the Microsoft and Activision acquisition saga continues. The deal was originally set to reach a final verdict this week. Xbox boss Phil Spencer took to Twitter though to reveal that the deadline had been delayed until October so yes, we have another two months of reporting to cover.
The proposed $68.7 billion deal is one of the largest the gaming industry has ever seen. For months on end, Microsoft has been scrapping it out against a number of companies and regulatory bodies, trying to push the deal through. Most recently, Microsoft succeeded in winning their fight against the US’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who had attempted to file an injunction and temporary restraining order against the deal. It remains blocked by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) though.
Take a look at Call of Duty: Warzone’s latest map below.
A major point of contention has been the future of the Call of Duty franchise. It’s arguably the largest jewel in Activision’s crown and there were concerns, particularly from PlayStation, that the franchise could become an Xbox-exclusive. However, this week, Phil Spencer confirmed that a formal deal had now been signed with Sony that ensures that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation for the foreseeable future.
PlayStation fans are also concerned about the futures of several other franchises, including Spyro The Dragon and Crash Bandicoot. Both characters, Crash in particular, were once titans of the PlayStation line-up - particularly when you go back to the PS1 and PS2 eras. It’s strange to think of a future where they no longer exist on the console, but it’s a very real possibility. Activision and Microsoft haven’t confirmed their plans for Spyro and Crash but they could potentially become Xbox-exclusives. It hasn’t been ruled out.
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It’s been a concern of fans ever since the proposed deal between Microsoft and Activision was announced. Back in January 2022, which is when the announcement was made, one fan set up a petition on change.org, titled, “Keep Crash/Spyro games ‘multi-platform’ franchises.” One comment on the petition read, “We don’t want Crash and Spyro to be Xbox only. We need them on all consoles where they belong.” Unfortunately, the petition only garnered a measly 69 signatures but with the merger nearing its conclusion, perhaps more fans will now spring into action.
Topics: Crash Bandicoot, Activision, PlayStation, Xbox, Microsoft