Xbox Throws A Series Of Major Punches Against PlayStation

Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard for a staggering amount of $70 billion surprised a lot of gamers and to some industry watchers, the Redmond-based tech titan is not only using its money to get ahead in the gaming industry but to also make a major strike against PlayStation.

Xbox announced a strategic move recently, which not only sent a shockwave in the gaming industry but could also create a lot of changes especially for the "Call of Duty," "Overwatch" and "Diablo" franchise. Fans have started to wonder how the acquisition would affect the release schedule of games, especially the "Call of Duty" series, which rolls out a new title every year.

Apparently, "high-level employees at Activision have discussed moving away from the annual release schedule," according to a recent report from Bloomberg. But, for those worried that they might not be able to get their hands on "Call of Duty 2022," it appears that it might not be affected by the impending acquisition since it is already planned to launch sometime this year.

To some, the recent move from Microsoft is the onset of the war on exclusivity while others believe it is a strategy not only to swallow competitors whole but also to grow the company's Xbox Game Pass.

It may be recalled that over the past couple of years, Microsoft has been busy purchasing developers and ensuring that Xbox Game Pass becomes a must-have for gamers. The Redmond-based tech giant purchasing Bethesda makes the subscription service a great buy.

Later, EA Play became available on the Xbox Game Pass service, allowing gamers to enjoy titles like the "FIFA" series, "Titanfall" series, "Madden," "Mass Effect," "Need For Speed," "Dirt," "NHL" and a lot more. There are also rumors that Ubisoft's "Rainbow Six Extraction" will be available in the service sometime this month.

With Activision Blizzard's lineup of popular titles becoming available soon on Xbox Game Pass, a day might come when gamers won't have to pay $60 to get the latest "Call of Duty" game installment. Instead, subscribers will just see the latest "CoD" title on Xbox Game Pass.

How Sony will respond to this recent move from Xbox remains to be seen. But fans are worried that because of possible games' exclusivity, they might no longer be able to run their favorite titles on the PlayStation gaming system in the future.