Xbox's Phil Spencer has said there's "one major opposer to the deal" of the company's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, adding that competitor Sony "is trying to protect its dominance on the console".
Talking on the Second Request podcast (via VGC), Spencer added that "the way [Sony] grow[s] is by making Xbox smaller".
"[Sony] has a very different view of the industry than we do," he said on the show. "They don't ship their games day and date on PC, they do not put their games into their subscription when they launch their games."
“Sony is leading the dialogue around why the deal shouldn’t go through to protect its dominant position on console, so the thing they grab onto is Call of Duty,” Spencer said on the podcast.
"The largest console maker in the world raising an objection about the one franchise that we've said will continue to ship on the platform. It's a deal that benefits customers through choice and access."
Did you miss Xbox at The Game Awards 2022? You aren't alone. Interestingly, though, Xbox VP Aaron Greenberg acknowledged the company's conspicuous absence from the show and wants you to know that we won't be waiting too much longer for announcements.
No, we didn't get any specifics, but Greenberg did tease that the team had "a lot planned to show and share about an incredibly exciting year ahead for 2023".
"Appreciate folks are eager to learn and see more. Timing is always key, but don’t worry you will not have to wait too long for what’s next from us," Greenberg added.
