FTC vs MS emails: Jim Ryan said he was ‘pretty sure we will continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for many years to come’

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wrote in an email “I’m pretty sure we will continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for many years to come” in response to the news Microsoft intended to buy Activision Blizzard.

The revelation came as part of the ongoing hearing in which lawyers representing Microsoft and the United States’ Federal Trade Commission are fighting for the future of the proposed $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard.

The email, viewed by IGN reporter Rebekah Valentine in court today and dated January 20, 2022 – two days after Microsoft announced its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard – reveals Ryan’s relaxed attitude to the deal at that time, and counters Sony’s public-facing concern about the future of Call of Duty on PlayStation that emerged in the year-and-a-half that followed.

“It’s not an Xbox exclusivity play at all,” Ryan wrote in the email, “they’re thinking bigger than that, and they have the cash to make moves like this. I’ve spent a fair bit of time with both Phil [Spencer, boss of Xbox] and Bobby [Kotick, boss of Activision Blizzard] over the past day. I’m pretty sure we will continue to see COD on PS for many years to come.

“We have some good stuff cooking. Keep your eyes peeled. I’m not complacent and I’d rather this hadn’t happened, but we’ll be OK, more than OK.”

In a September 2022 interview, Ryan called Microsoft’s offer for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends “inadequate on many levels”.

In March, Activision Blizzard EVP Corporate Affairs and CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey took to Twitter to claim Ryan had commented on Sony’s true motivation in a behind-closed-doors meeting in Brussels. “In his words: ‘I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger.’ “

The CEO of SIE answered that question in Brussels.

In his words:

“I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger.”

— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) March 8, 2023

This was reportedly in response to Microsoft’s December 2022 offer to Sony of a 10-year agreement that would guarantee PlayStation long-term access to Call of Duty. Sony has so far failed to sign any such deal. In documents released today, Microsoft used this offer to back up its case, claiming it would “go beyond the expected starting period of the next generation of consoles (in 2028)”.

“Thus, Call of Duty will be published on successor PlayStation consoles should one be released during the term of the agreement. The agreement also would ensure that Call of Duty console games are offered on PlayStation at parity with Xbox.”

It’s crunch time for Microsoft and the Xbox brand, as company leaders are heading to federal court to defend their proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard against the FTC.

The legal battle between Microsoft and the FTC began last December, when the agency announced plans to block Microsoft’s enormous purchase of the company behind Call of Duty, Diablo and Candy Crush. Last week, a federal court in California issued a temporary restraining order requested by the FTC that basically blocks Microsoft and Activision Blizzard’s deal for the time being.

This week’s trial will see the FTC attempt to impose a preliminary injunction on Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. If successful, it would mean Microsoft and Activision Blizzard can’t complete the acquisition while the FTC’s review of the transaction’s compliance with U.S. antitrust law is ongoing.

The future of Call of Duty is one of the key talking points, with Microsoft at pains to insist it will continue to release the shooter on PlayStation if it buys Activision Blizzard, and the FTC attempting to show why this may not be the case.

IGN has comprehensive coverage of the Microsoft’s battle to buy Activision Blizzard. Keep an eye on our Coverage So Far page for updates.