Recent documents from the Competition and Markets Authority investigating Microsoft’s potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard reveal that both Microsoft and PlayStation are not planning to release the next generation of consoles until 2028 at the earliest.
In the documents, Sony contends that Microsoft indicated on October 26 that it would only offer Call of Duty on PlayStation “as long as it makes sense,” setting a deadline of 2027 or a timeframe determined solely by Microsoft, which Sony finds inadequate.
Sony warns that “With the release of its next PlayStation generation, SIE would lose access to Call of Duty and other Activision titles, exposing it to consumer migration and a resulting decline in competitiveness.”
The document hints that Sony’s PlayStation 6 launch is targeted for post-2027.
Microsoft addressed the CMA’s concerns by stating that the impacts of the Activision agreement were speculative and that the next-gen consoles are still several years away.
They noted, “At the beginning of a new generation, it is anticipated that ‘some gamers will likely reassess their console preferences.'”
Microsoft predicts that the new console generation will launch after the fall of 2028.
