Nintendo Signs 10-Year Call Of Duty Contract With Microsoft

AsMicrosoftcontinues to try and prove itsActivision Blizzardmerger won’t negatively affect the video game industry,Xboxhas confirmed a decade-long deal to bringCall of Dutygames toNintendohas been reached. The statement confirms the series will be the same version of the game that launches on other platforms.Xbox head Phil Spencerpreviously discussed an agreement between Microsoft and Nintendothat would bring Call of Duty to the latter for ten years. A deal seemingly brought about byPlayStationbeing offered the same but turning it down. Microsoft president Brad Smith has now confirmed the Nintendo deal is in place.RELATED:Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition Could “Harm Gamers” Says UK Watchdog“Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding ten-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players,” the statement reads. “The same day as Xbox with full feature and content parity – so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty.” Noteworthy that PlayStation is mentioned as Xbox tries to assure regulators it has no plans to take the series away from PlayStation.

Also noteworthy is the feature and content parity comment, confirming Nintendo platforms will enjoy the same Call of Duty experience as everyone else. When Spencer first revealed Nintendo had been offered a Call of Duty deal, some assumed theSwitch, or whatever comes next, will get the mobile version of the game. Apparently not, and confirmation this deal has been done may be another indicator the Switch’s successor is nearing a reveal.

The CMA, the same governing body that has been the biggest thorn in Microsoft’s paw when it comes to the merger so far, hinted at new Nintendo hardware last week. As a part of its investigation into the Activision deal, the CMA details various platforms' cloud gaming capabilities. When discussing Nintendo, it statesNintendo Switch Online is available on the Switch and one other platform. Perhaps that will be the platform on which Call of Duty makes its Nintendo return.