Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson thinks that Call of Duty potentially becoming a Microsoft exclusive franchise could benefit Battlefield.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has had marketing deals for the Battlefield franchise in the past too, including Battlefield V. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is still in the process of being approved and is being scrutinized by some regulators, such as in the UK, due to anti-competition concerns in potentially making franchises like Call of Duty exclusive.
While Microsoft had the lion’s share of Call of Duty marketing deals and exclusive timed content during the Xbox 360 era, the situation managed to flip and now Sony works closely with the franchise on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. This year’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare II has plenty of exclusive bonuses for PlayStation owners, including first access to the game’s beta and an operator named Hiro “Oni” Watanabe.
If the Call of Duty franchise was to become exclusive to Microsoft platforms, then it makes sense that Sony would have to approach the second biggest first-person shooter franchise, Battlefield.