Tag: Call of Duty

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You may not have asked for it, but you’re getting a Call of Duty board game

The next time your disgruntled friend or family member flips over the Monopoly board, effectively eliminating your three-hour-long capitalist uprising, take the power back by reaching for Call of Duty: The Board Game to enact your revenge.

Activision has teamed up with the board game company Arcane Wonders as well as Genuine Entertainment and Evolution to make the game. Call of Duty: The Board Game is set to be a fast-paced mix of tactical planning, strategy and ‘combat.’ A brief but official announcement trailer has also been released as if the hype wasn’t big enough without one.

So far, we know that apart from being an instant draw for teenage gamers, players will take on the role of soldiers and battle others throughout the game with various weapons and tactics. Arcane Wonders also says there are several scenarios and gameplay modes to choose from, with the game set to include maps from former Call of Duty titles.

While we don’t have any information on killstreaks, a potential zombies mode or if a campaign is included yet, we do know that pre-orders for Call of Duty: The Board Game will start this fall on Kickstarter.

Image credit: @ArcaneWonders

Source: Activision Via: Engadget

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Activision says it’s ‘committed’ to Call of Duty: Mobile, despite Microsoft’s earlier comments

Activision and supporting developers have quickly come forward to confirm they are “committed” to Call of Duty: Mobile as “part of the entire Call of Duty franchise.” This statement comes days after Microsoft said the contrary to regulators.

On Twitter, the official page for Call of Duty: Mobile posted a statement regarding the longevity and support of the title. In an effort to quell the worries of fans, the statement says that the team intends “to continue supporting the game with a robust roadmap of fresh new CODM content, activities, and updates for the long haul.”

This ordeal comes as part of the ongoing saga of Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Last week, Microsoft informed U.K. regulators that Call of Duty: Mobile “is expected to be phased out over time with the launch of Warzone Mobile.” Of course, with that statement, Microsoft did not divulge how long it would take for Call of Duty: Mobile to be phased out. However, the statement alone was enough to send fans into a panic.

Call of Duty: Mobile is one of Activision’s most popular mobile titles. In 2022, the game crossed the 650 million downloads threshold. However, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is projected to become another tentpole mobile title for the publisher. The battle royale has already seen a lot of popularity across consoles and PC.

It remains to be seen whether Microsoft’s comments were misrepresented or ill-informed while speaking to the U.K. regulators. However, as of now, it appears as though Call of Duty: Mobile will continue for the foreseeable future.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is slated to launch sometime this year. Pre-registration is already available on iOS and Android.

Microsoft is continuing its pursuit to acquire Activision Blizzard. The company recently signed a 10-year “binding” agreement with Nintendo and Nvidia to avoid anti-trust concerns. However, the acquisition continues to face pushback from the likes of PlayStation and the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). However, the CMA is due to deliver its final ruling on April 26th.

Image credit: Activision

Source: @PlayCODMobile

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Call of Duty: Mobile expected to be ‘phased out’ once Warzone Mobile launches

Call of Duty: Mobile will likely be “phased out” after Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile releases.

The news comes from none other than Microsoft as part of a larger piece for U.K. regulators in regard to its pending acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard. According to Microsoft, Call of Duty: Mobile “is expected to be phased out over time with the launch of Warzone Mobile” everywhere except China.

Call of Duty: Mobile is one of the biggest mobile games on the market, having topped 650 million downloads last year. However, the free-to-play Warzone brand has also been popular on consoles and PC, so it makes sense that Activision wants to tap into it on mobile.

Warzone Mobile is set to release sometime later this year. Of course, “phased out over time” doesn’t mean that Call of Duty: Mobile will immediately go away later this year, but regardless, it’s worth keeping in mind if you’re an active player.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has been working hard to get its Activision Blizzard acquisition approved in the U.K. As part of its efforts to squash anti-competition concerns, the company has signed long-term deals with the likes of Nintendo and Nvidia on Activision Blizzard games like Call of Duty. While Sony has been trying to block the deal, Reuters reported last week that it’s expected to get approved in the U.K. thanks to these agreements.

Image credit: Activision Blizzard

Source: Microsoft

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Microsoft says it’s ‘confident’ it can get Call of Duty: Warzone on Nintendo Switch

Microsoft is optimistic that it could overcome the technical limitations of the Nintendo Switch to bring Call of Duty to the platform.

In a filing to the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Microsoft outlined what could be done to make good on its 10-year “binding” agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo platforms should its acquisition of Activision Blizzard be approved.

According to Microsoft, the engine powering the popular battle royale series is “mature and has been optimized to run on a wide range of hardware devices.” This includes the Xbox One, a nearly 10-year-old console, and PC GPUs “released as far back as 2015” — both of which predate the Switch’s 2017 launch. Further, Microsoft notes that Activision also offers a (yet-to-be-released) mobile version of Warzone that “runs natively on mobile phones which have much lower performance specifications than the Nintendo Switch.”

More specifically, Microsoft said there are “standard techniques” that have been used for Switch ports of the likes of Apex Legends, Fortnite, Doom Eternal and Crysis 3. On top of that, Microsoft says it’s “confident” in Activision Blizzard’s developers, who have a “long history of optimizing game performance for available hardware capabilities.”

Of course, this is all hypothetical until Microsoft actually owns Activision Blizzard. As it stands, European regulators are still deliberating on the deal, although Reuters reported last week that Microsoft’s deals with the likes of Nintendo and Nvidia have helped stave off governmental anti-competition concerns. Sony, for its part, has staunchly opposed the acquisition, arguing that Call of Duty would give Microsoft an unfair advantage. Most recently, the company expressed concerns that Microsoft might release inferior versions of games on PlayStation.

We’ll know for sure which argument ultimately wins out when the CMA delivers its final ruling on April 26th.

Image credit: Activision

Source: Microsoft

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Call of Duty, Fire Emblem and Dead Space among Canada’s best-selling games in January 2023

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada, the lobbying group for the Canadian gaming industry, has teamed up with market research firm NPD Group on a new monthly list of the best-selling games in Canada.

The inaugural list covers January and includes the following 10 titles:

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X and S/PC)
  2. Fire Emblem Engage (Nintendo Switch)
  3. Dead Space (PS5/Xbox Series X and S/PC)
  4. NHL 23 (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X and S/PC)
  5. FIFA 23 (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X and S/Nintendo Switch/PC)
  6. Elden Ring (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X and S/PC)
  7. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Nintendo Switch)
  8. Forspoken (PS5)
  9. God of War: Ragnarok (PS4/PS5)
  10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)

Notably, NPD says this data doesn’t include digital sales for the three first-party Nintendo games — Fire Emblem Engage, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so they undoubtedly performed even better overall.

It’s also worth mentioning that a few of these games are Canadian. While the original Dead Space was developed by the now-defunct American studio Visceral, the 2023 remake was handled by Montreal’s EA Motive. Meanwhile, NHL 23 and FIFA 23 were developed by EA Vancouver. Finally, while Modern Warfare II was primarily developed by California’s Infinity Ward, Quebec City-based Beenox handled the PC port.

This list is especially noteworthy considering NPD has historically only provided sales data for the U.S. In general, it’s rare to get Canada-specific data, but it trickles out over time, like Nintendo recently confirming that the Switch was Canada’s best-selling console for the fifth consecutive year.

Image credit: EA

Source: NPD

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Activision acknowledges Call of Duty hack, denies claims that personal data was compromised

Activision has confirmed that it fell victim to a data breach in December 2022.

The incident was first reported by malware-focused Twitter user @vxunderground and corroborated by credible leaker site Insider Gaming. According to @vxunderground, an Activision HR employee’s computer was hacked, which led to a slew of company data being accessed. While it’s said that no player data was breached, @vxunderground that employee information like names, emails, phone numbers, places of work and salaries were leaked.

However, Activision denied this in a statement to Insider Gaming, claiming that it “quickly resolved” the issue and determined that “no sensitive employee data, game code, or player data was accessed.”

Even if Activision is being truthful, @vxunderground points out that the company didn’t actually inform anyone of the breach. Indeed, the company is only addressing it now, more than two months later, after it had come to light from other sources.

Meanwhile, the leak also revealed a slew of information for future Call of Duty titles, including DLC for last year’s Modern Warfare 2, this year’s rumoured smaller-scale title and next year’s entry. We won’t share that here in case you want to avoid any potential spoilers, but more information can be found in @vxunderground’s Twitter thread.

Source: @vxunderground, Insider Gaming

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Microsoft signs 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms

Microsoft has announced that it has signed a 10-year deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty games to the Japanese company’s platforms.

On Twitter, Microsoft president Brad Smith said this is a “binding” agreement that will see Call of Duty games come to Nintendo on the same day as Xbox, “with full feature and content parity.” Given that this is a 10-year deal and we’re nearing the end of the Switch’s life cycle, this would, presumably, primarily apply to the console-handheld hybrid’s yet-to-be-revealed successor.

In December, Microsoft said it had committed to a 10-year deal with Nintendo, but the February 21st announcement means that it’s now legally binding. Microsoft is making this deal in an effort to help get its pending acquisition of Call of Duty Activision Blizzard approved in the EU.

Regulators have been investigating the purchase out of concerns that such a move would be anti-competitive. PlayStation, in particular, argues that Microsoft’s ownership of Call of Duty would present the company with an unfair advantage in the market. To counter these claims, Microsoft has said it’s “committed” to bringing Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games to platforms like PlayStation.

In his tweet about the Nintendo deal, Smith said “this is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms.” It should also be noted that a similar 10-year agreement has been offered to Sony, although the company has not yet agreed to the deal.

As it stands, it’s unclear if and when the Activision Blizzard acquisition may be approved, although Microsoft is hoping it will close by July. Last month, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer reiterated his confidence that the deal will be approved.

Image credit: Activision Blizzard

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U.K. regulator says Microsoft could need to sell Call of Duty to buy Activision

The United Kingdom’s Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has released a report proposing that for Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard, a “partial divesture” involving the Call of Duty series being separated from the transaction could be required. This would allow Activision Blizzard’s most valuable brand to be “capable of competing effectively under separate ownership,” says the CMA.

In a recent press release, the CMA says that in its current state, the $69 billion USD (about $92 billion) deal “could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers,” before going on to say that its report “raises concerns about cloud and console gaming” and that the acquisition would make Microsoft “even stronger in cloud gaming.”

The CMA says the acquisition would limit competition and “could also harm UK gamers by weakening the important rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles.”

Other findings include the fact that the Call of Duty series is important to the rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation, and, unsurprisingly, that Microsoft making Activision’s titles, including the aforementioned shooter, exclusive to its consoles would be beneficial to the company.

Microsoft recently pledged to continue releasing new Call of Duty games on PlayStation consoles for the next 10 years, and said that it will also bring the franchise to Nintendo’s Switch. In response to the CMA’s report, Microsoft’s Microsoft corporate VP and deputy general counsel Rima Alaily told Engadget the following:

“We are committed to offering effective and easily enforceable solutions that address the CMA’s concerns. Our commitment to grant long term 100 percent equal access to Call of Duty to Sony, Nintendo, Steam and others preserves the deal’s benefits to gamers and developers and increases competition in the market.”

The CMA says that its investigation took place over five months, involved business leaders at Microsoft and Xbox speaking with the organization and the examination of three million internal documents from both companies. Microsoft has until February 22nd to address the CMA’s concerns ahead of the regulator’s final report regarding the acquisition on April 26th.

Microsoft first announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard last year and has encountered significant resistance from regulators and Sony, which say the deal is “a game-change that poses a threat to our industry.”

Activision-Blizzard is currently facing ongoing legal issues regarding harassment and workplace culture. The company has been accused of enabling “frat boy culture.” Legal proceedings and investigations remain underway. Meanwhile, CEO Bobby Kotick is also under the microscope for allegedly covering up reports and allegations. New reports continue to filter in regarding sexual harassment allegations at the company.

Image credit: Activision

Source: CMA, Engadget

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FTC opens suit against Microsoft’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard

The Federal Trade Comission (FTC) has officially filed a suit in order to attempt and halt Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This raises new hurdles as Microsoft’s $68.7 billion USD (roughly $93 billion CAD) deal is already seeking approval from regulators.

The FTC is filing its suit after months of investigations. The commission believes that the acquisition would “enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.” Since Microsoft announced its plans to acquire the Call of Duty and Overwatch publisher, anticompetitive concerns have surfaced.

“Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,” Holly Vedova, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, says in a statement. “Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets.”

Microsoft has been facing pushback throughout the year as it seeks approval from regional regulators. Sony, one of Microsoft’s biggest competitors, argues that the acquisition may unfairly tip the scales in the industry. With blockbuster IPs like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and more laying in the balance, U.K. regulators have been investigating the deal. Pressure from the FTC only increases the hurdles presented currently.

We continue to believe that our deal to acquire Activision Blizzard will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president said in a statement. “We have been committed since Day One to addressing competition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC. While we believe in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court.”

Microsoft has shown a willingness to quell concerns over IP exclusivity. With Call of Duty’s presence on Sony’s PlayStation hardware in question, Microsoft has attempted to appeal to Sony and the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Most recently, Microsoft attempted to offer Sony a 10-year deal, securing access to Call of Duty on PlayStation hardware. Sony has not accepted the offer at this current point. This offer has also been agreed upon by both Nintendo and Valve.

Since publishing its statement, Activision Blizzard executive Lulu Cheng Meservey provided a statement. On Twitter, Meservey wrote, “This vote departs from precedent but the law hasn’t changed.” She continues, “Any claim the deal is anticompetitive ignores facts; the deal benefits gamers and the industry, especially given competition from abroad.”

Activision Blizzard is currently under investigation for reports of workplace harassment and “frat boy culture.” Likewise, CEO Bobby Kotick is also under investigation following allegations that he was aware of such acts and decided not to make meaningful changes.

Image credit: Microsoft

Source: @FTC Via: CNBC

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U.S. will likely challenge Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition: report

Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard could face a major roadblock from the U.S.’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Politico, citing “three people with knowledge of the matter,” reports that the FTC will likely file an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft in an effort to block the tech giant’s takeover of the Call of Duty maker. While the publication notes that the FTC hasn’t yet made a formal decision, the agency is nonetheless skeptical of Microsoft’s case for purchasing Activision Blizzard.

As the deal has faced regulatory approval across the globe, a key point of contention has been Call of Duty. Rival Sony has argued that Microsoft owning the massively popular first-person shooter franchise would provide an unfair advantage.

“Call of Duty is not replicable. Call of Duty is too entrenched for any rival, no matter how well equipped, to catch up. It has been the top-selling game for almost every year in the last decade and, in the first-person shooter (‘FPS’) genre, it is overwhelmingly the top-selling game,” wrote Sony in a filing to the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). As an example, Sony mentioned that EA’s Battlefield, which is a direct Call of Duty competitor, “cannot keep up” with Activision’s series.

Microsoft, in turn, has said it’s willing to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for many years while arguing that it would still be third in the gaming market after Sony and Tencent even upon acquiring Activision Blizzard.

“The suggestion that the incumbent market leader, Sony, with clear and enduring market power, could be foreclosed by the smallest of the three console competitors, Xbox, as a result of losing access to one title, is not credible. Sony’s PlayStation has been the largest console platform for over 20 years, with an installed base of consoles and market share more than double the size of Xbox,” said Microsoft in a November 23rd statement to the CMA.

However, Politico reports that FTC investigators are also concerned about Microsoft’s plans beyond Call of Duty. The outlet notes that there’s uncertainty surrounding how Microsoft could use future unannounced Activision Blizzard titles to boost its business. So far, Microsoft has only said it intends to make these titles available on its Xbox Game Pass service. Microsoft has also outlined plans to leverage Activision Blizzard to create an app marketplace independent of Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, which it claims will offer consumers more choice. Naturally, such a move would also face significant regulatory scrutiny.

Interestingly, Politico adds that Google is also opposing Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard bid. While the search engine giant’s gaming efforts will be limited to Android games following the January 2023 closure of its Stadia streaming service, Google’s issues with Microsoft reportedly concern other matters. Specifically, Politico reports that Google is alleging that Microsoft purposefully degrades the quality of its Game Pass service on Google Chrome in an effort to steer consumers towards Microsoft products and services. Google claims that Microsoft owning Activision Blizzard would only bolster Microsoft’s efforts in this regard.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen what action the FTC will take. Politico reports that investigators may move ahead with an antitrust case as early as December, although it could opt to do so later down the line, given that Microsoft is currently subject to in-depth probes in both Europe and the U.K. As it stands, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard aim to close the deal by June 2023.

Source: Politico