Microsoft says most PlayStation owners don’t play Call Of Duty, the FTC claims otherwise

Microsoft claims most PlayStation owners don’t play Call of Duty as it continues to try and push through its Activision Blizzard merger, but the FTC disagrees.

Despite being approved in certain parts of the world, the battle to make its Activision Blizzard deal happen rages on for Microsoft. Most notably in the US as it tries to convince the FTC that approving the merger would be the right call. Microsoft’s latest attempt to persuade the regulatory body includes a claim that most PlayStation owners don’t play Call of Duty, a claim the FTC has disputed.

CharlieIntel has shared court documents filed recently after a judge ruled in favor of the FTC’s request to temporarily block the merger. In those documents, Microsoft claims most PlayStation players don’t play CoD. The FTC has disputed that claim, citing evidence pointing to the contrary. Unfortunately, that evidence and what it shows has been redacted.

CoD, and what might happen to it should the merger be approved, has been one of the deal’s biggest sticking points. Microsoft has attempted to make decade-long deals with as many studios as possible, even promising to bring CoD games to Nintendo back in February. PlayStation and the FTC remain unconvinced Microsoft will play nice with one of Activision’s biggest assets should the deal go ahead, though.

Exclusivity is discussed a lot in the FTC’s latest filing. It goes on to mention Starfield and Redfall’s Xbox exclusivity, brought about by Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition in 2021. Again, a lot of key information has been redacted, but the filing reads should the acquisition be allowed to go ahead, what happens to CoD and other Activision Blizzard games “could be similar” to what has happened to Redfall and Starfield.

Related: Modern Warfare 3 ‘leaks’ may have given CoD players their first look at iconic returning maps

As Microsoft continues to try and get the deal over the line in the US, it’s also trying to do the same thing in the UK. The CMA blocked the acquisition in April, citing worries about Xbox’s potential hold on the cloud gaming market as the leading reason for its ruling. Microsoft is currently in the process of appealing that decision.