Activision-Blizzard: thoughts on game exclusivity?

[KirthGersen]

Games like Warzone will remain multiplat, and everything else that was released before June 2023. After that everything is exclusive

[andrew_schmidt (HaloGaming08)]

once current deals are done going exclusive!!!

[robrezende (Roberto Rezende)]

My thoughts:

Xbox and Activision currently have opposite views about what they expect from their franchises. Xbox is working towards creative freedom and bet their revenues in Xbox Game Pass. Activision bets on billion-dollar franchises and put all their effort to release them frequently, as they do with COD.

I think that Xbox’s views will prevail for obvious reasons, and this could have some impact on Activision-Blizzard studios. They won’t need to release a Call of Duty every year and maybe some of the studios from COD trio can have the opportunity to release a new IP or work together with each other. Activision side studios also won’t have to support CoD anymore and work on games they want, like a new Spyro from Toys For Bob.

If, and only if, CoD stops being an annual franchise, which is possible due to their success with Warzone model, I believe all their games can be Xbox platforms exclusive. And this will also empower the other studios and IPs who come together in this acquisition.

But, unlike Bethesda, Activision model is very different from Xbox’s. I’m expecting to see results on this path in maybe 5 years.

EDIT: I almost forgot: I wouldn’t be surprised if games like Guitar Hero come back from the dead after this deal. Game Pass and Guitar Hero have a huge potential working together.

[Eduardo]

I’m not going crazy in another worrying cycle like the Bethesda acquisition

[robrezende (Roberto Rezende)]

@Eduardo

I’m not going crazy in another worrying cycle like the Bethesda acquisition

As in Bethesda acquisition, I just care about game pass day one.

[Proven]

Halo Wars- Starcraft crossover ???

[Helios1]

@DeoGame

Here’s your answer.

As a reality, we know the following will be multiplat due to pre-existing commitments:

• Overwatch 2
• Diablo 4
• Warzone
• CoD titles until Marketing deal ends

All else fair game. I also think ABK will end their focus on getting a CoD out every year, we’ll see a return to some of their older IP (and help for some of MS’s) and Blizzard games will start to hit Xbox.

Overwatch 2 and Diablo 2 don’t have pre-existing commitments and neither do future COD games

I predict Warzone, the next COD game and then it’s GG

[DeoGame]

@Helios1

Overwatch 2 and Diablo 2 don’t have pre-existing commitments and neither do future COD games

I predict Warzone, the next COD game and then it’s GG

COD has the PlayStation marketing. idk though.

I thought Diablo 4 was announced for PS4.

As for Overwatch 2, it’s a free update to OW1.

[PCPrincipal]

Don’t care if everything remains multiplatform. Just getting everything on GamePass in itself is a huge win for me.

[javycane (Javier Ruiz)]

Xbox owns everything but shows to display their stuff …

[Thanathorn]

I think there will be some exclusives but most things will stay multi-platform.

[LavishAssassin]

Same as Zenimax

Everything new will be exclusive.

[Staffy]

@peter42O

Every game will be fully exclusive to Xbox excluding the games that have already been released or that will be released before the acquisition is legally finalized. In other words, once the acquisition is legally finalized, every release afterwards including Call of Duty will be 100% fully exclusive to Xbox/PC/Cloud.

Good, because if Sony were to buy any of the remaining big pubs (they kinda have to answer now…right?) Best believe that there is zero doubt where games are going to go. Would just be a bad look if Sony were to buy SE, they have Tomb Raider as exclusive, lock it down, Xbox however keeps CoD or Diablo 5 or whatever multiplatform.

@Thanathorn

I think there will be some exclusives but most things will stay multi-platform.

That makes no sense.

Why even acquire them then? That’s not how you grow your service.

[Helios1]

@DeoGame

COD has the PlayStation marketing. idk though.

I thought Diablo 4 was announced for PS4.

As for Overwatch 2, it’s a free update to OW1.

Yeah good point on Overwatch 2

[Mort]

Seeing how Xbox handled the Zenimax games I am not “worried” in the slightest this time around tbh. Feels good!

[Cayde4Ever (Cayde)]

@javycane

Xbox didnt buy these studios to be CoD factories.

Two of them will be at the very least. I think Infinity Ward, Treyarch will become the primary COD developers and Sledgehammer, Raven, High Moon will go and do other projects.

[n0tjack]

Are there public dates for when the Sony deals end?

[robrezende (Roberto Rezende)]

@Cayde4Ever

Two of them will be at the very least. I think Infinity Ward, Treyarch will become the primary COD developers and Sledgehammer, Raven, High Moon will go and do other projects.

Xbox is giving a good space for teams to develop the games they want to do, at least it seems like this. All these studios are involved in COD because they have to keep the annual release going and the COD trio working on it. If Xbox allows them to do more spaced releases, the other studios can do what they wish more freely, including Sledgehammer, Treyarch and, hopefully, Infinity Ward.

PS: While I was writing this post, I realized that with this acquisition, Xbox now has idTech and IW Tech, which derived from idTech 3. What a small world, isn’t it?

[Ulster36thDiv]

@batman14

Cod I think will be on all platforms but Everthing else will be Xbox/PC/Xcloud

COD will be Xbox and PC exclusive… I’ll bet my hat on it.

Uncle Phil said they will continue to support other platforms where the Activision games are played… that’ll be PC from my thinking.

[javycane (Javier Ruiz)]

@n0tjack

Are there public dates for when the Sony deals end?

For cod its usually a year per game.