PlayStation was sure it'd get Call of Duty even if Microsoft acquired Activision

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This was despite PlayStation rejecting Microsoft's proposed decade-long deal

Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision)

PlayStation was sure it would retain Call of Duty simply because of Sony's presence. 

New comments from PlayStation head Jim Ryan were uncovered by reporter Florian Mueller, and they paint a pretty confident picture of the company. Ryan was apparently confident PlayStation would still get Call of Duty releases even if Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard proceeded, purely because of Sony's dominance on the gaming scene. 

It's pretty hard to argue with Ryan's stance here - just look at the extent to which the PS5 is currently outselling the Xbox Series X and S around the world as proof of PlayStation's unavoidable presence in gaming.

Ryan's comments are perhaps a little less of a "bombshell" considering Microsoft literally offered to put Call of Duty on PlayStation devices for a decade. Microsoft was offering damn near anyone a 10-year deal for Call of Duty-related things like game streaming and cloud technology, but their offer to put the franchise on PlayStation for a decade was by far the most noteworthy.

In actual fact, this is the deal that PlayStation and Ryan weren't satisfied with. PlayStation reportedly turned down the deal from Microsoft, and so Ryan's new comments seem to imply that PlayStation was sure it would retain Call of Duty even after they'd turned down the initial decade-long offer from Microsoft. That's a very, very confident stance from PlayStation.

Don't forget, we're still getting a new Call of Duty game this year, according to Summer Game Fest host Geoff Keighley. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.