Bloomberg reports Activision Blizzard’s newest entry in the Call of Duty (CoD) franchise is the fastest-selling game in the series. CoD: Modern Warfare II 2022, a remake of the 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, made $800 million on launch weekend. The record-setting report comes just as the EU gears up for an extensive antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of the company. As a result, the new CoD’s success could play a significant role in the Microsoft antitrust investigation.
Call of Duty is a significant part of the Microsoft antitrust probe.
Reuters reports the European Union will finish its preliminary assessment of the Microsoft antitrust investigation on November 8. The tech giant made no remedies to regulators ahead of the investigation, which Reuters says is standard before extended probes. A prolonged examination could significantly hinder Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The Call of Duty franchise is one of Activision Blizzard’s longest-running and best-selling properties and is significant to the deal. Additionally, video game console industry leader Sony expressed concerns that Microsoft would end CoD sales on PlayStation after the acquisition. However, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has since denied these claims.
According to Gamespot, Sony announced Modern Warfare II is the “biggest PlayStation Store launch” ever. In addition, Sony inked a limited exclusivity deal with Activision in 2015, which has since thrown a wrench in Microsoft’s plans.
The acquisition faces investigations all over the world.
Microsoft is “continuing to work with the European Commission […] to address any valid market concerns,” according to POLITICO. The publication spoke with a spokesperson from the company who reiterated Spencer’s claims that CoD will remain available on PlayStation.
The deal faces scrutiny from regulatory agencies all over the world. Its biggest hurdles include the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the Federal Trade Commission. However, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Competition and Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense have already approved the deal.
