Xbox to End Exclusive Call of Duty DLC for Consoles

Xbox has been making efforts to assure regulators, rival platforms, and Call of Duty players that if it acquires Activision Blizzard, the gaming experience will remain the same across all platforms. The company’s recent announcement aims to quell fears among PlayStation players, who have enjoyed exclusive content in recent installments of the series. Xbox has promised that the same version of Call of Duty will be available on all platforms, eliminating the need for console-exclusive DLC.

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, reiterated the company’s message in an interview with Xbox On. He explained that Xbox wants the gaming experience to be the same regardless of the platform. This includes eliminating skins for guns and limited-time modes that can only be found on a particular platform. Spencer stated that Xbox is not interested in playing games with the Call of Duty franchise, and the focus is on providing the same game to all platforms, just as they do today.

PlayStation’s Resistance and Xbox’s Partnership with Nintendo

PlayStation has been resisting Xbox’s efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard, and the exclusive content in Call of Duty is likely one of the reasons. PlayStation players have become accustomed to receiving exclusive content, which is an incentive to play on the PlayStation platform. Xbox’s move to eliminate exclusive DLC could further undermine PlayStation’s argument against the merger.

In contrast, Xbox and Nintendo have been getting along well in terms of the potential future of Call of Duty. Xbox has promised to provide the same Call of Duty experience to Nintendo consoles as it will on other platforms if the deal is approved. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), one of the merger’s biggest opponents, remains unconvinced that the Nintendo Switch can run the same Call of Duty games that will be launched on PlayStation and Xbox.

Xbox’s commitment to eliminating console-exclusive DLC for Call of Duty is a significant step towards ensuring a level playing field across all platforms. It demonstrates the company’s dedication to providing an excellent gaming experience to players, regardless of their preferred platform. The future of the Activision Blizzard merger remains uncertain, but Xbox’s efforts to assuage concerns among regulators and players are a positive sign.