A high-rankingActivision Blizzardexecutive is throwing shade at Sony for its highly publicized opposition to her company’s impending sale to Microsoft. One of the biggest gaming stories of 2022 was the shocking announcement that Microsoft is looking to acquireActivision Blizzard, a move that would add big-name franchises likeCall Of DutyandWorld of Warcraftto the Xbox brand. This deal is said to cost Microsoft $68.7 million, and could very likely be the biggest business deal in the history of the industry should it clear regulation.While the forthcoming Activision Blizzard sale has already gained approval from many industry regulators, there is still plenty of controversy surrounding the deal. Among the usual fears ofXbox growing too powerfulfrom yet another major gaming acquisition, longtime console competitor Sony has vocally opposed it out of concern that Xbox could gain exclusive access to the ever-lucrativeCall of Dutyfranchise. Microsoft has since assured Sony that this wouldn’t be the case, even reportedly offering Sony access to all newCall of Dutyreleases for the next 10 years.RELATED:Group Behind Activision Blizzard Union-Busting Lawsuit Contacts EU Regulators About Microsoft AcquisitionDespite this, figures like Sony CEO Jim Ryan have continued to express concern that Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard will lead tothe end ofCall of Dutyon PlayStation, something that has led to many jokes at Sony’s expense over the past few months. Even Activision Blizzard EVP Corporate Affairs and CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey has joined in on this, posting a humorous meme making fun of Sony’s opposition to the sale on social media earlier this week. This meme depicts Sony as a child sabotaging their access toCall of Dutyby refusing to accept Microsoft’s past offers, yet still blaming Microsoft.
While Microsoft’s attempted buyout ofActivision Blizzard has passed several regulatory bodiesalready, it still has a long way to go before it closes completely. Just this month, the US-based Communications Workers of America reiterated its support of the deal, despite previously suing Activision Blizzard for its alleged union-busting practices in the past. This comes right as Microsoft spoke to the European Union in favor of the buyout earlier this week.
A recent report revealed thatplayers buy PS5s forCall of Dutymorethan any other title on the console, so there is some merit to Sony’s concerns about losing access to the franchise in the wake of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition. However, Microsoft has since announced a deal with Nintendo to bring Xbox titles to the Switch, implying that Sony’s fears might not be as founded as the company would like regulators to believe. This argument has now spawned several memes making light of it all, and evenActivision Blizzardhigher-ups are joining in on the fun as Microsoft’s latest buyout nears completion.
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