Nintendo Signs 10-Year Legal Agreement with Microsoft for Call of Duty

Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. formalized their agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms for a decade, a move designed to allay fears about the blockbuster game becoming an Xbox exclusive.

The two firms have “negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement” that will see Call of Duty released to Nintendo players the same day and with the same features as its Xbox version, Microsoft President Brad Smith tweeted Tuesday. The Redmond, Washington-based company committed to do so in December, contingent upon its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. going through.

The first-person shooter title is at the core of objections — most strongly raised by console rival Sony Group Corp. — to Microsoft’s deal, prompted by concerns that the software giant will gain exclusivity over too big a franchise. Call of Duty is consistently at the top of sales charts and its most recent release has occupied the No. 1 spot in the US since its launch in November, according to market tracker NPD.

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