Xbox fans are calling out an EU regulator over a seemingly biased tweet favoring PlayStation consoles. Microsoft’s decision to purchase Activision Blizzard for around $70 billion is probably the biggest story of the year. The acquisition is yet to pass, and Microsoft had mentioned that it expects the deal to go through in summer 2023.

However, Microsoft appears to be facing some roadblocks from governing bodies who have shared concerns regarding the impact of this acquisition on the gaming industry. Most recently, the European Commission decided to open an in-depth investigation into Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Commission expressed concerns over the effect this deal will have on competition and it has until March 23 of next year to take a decision. Some Xbox fans feel that the Commission is expressing bias towards PlayStation due to the words used in a specific tweet.

The tweet in question is from Ricardo Cardoso who states that the Commission is working to ensure that gamers will still be able to play Call of Duty on other platforms if Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard. Cardoso’s tweet was a reply to another tweet from EU Competition confirming the news of it opening an in-depth investigation into this acquisition. Many Xbox fans have pointed out Cardoso’s use of the words “including my PlayStation” in the tweet, and they claim that it shows the EU regulator’s bias towards PlayStation.

The Commission is working to ensure that you will still be able to play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my Playstation). Also on our to do list: update stock pictures. These gamers have wired controllers whereas Xbox and Playstation have wireless ones since about 2006! https://t.co/Gfvsi3rKXD

— Ricardo Cardoso (@RCardosoEU) November 8, 2022

As expected, the replies are filled with Xbox users calling out Cardoso and many gamers have shared images of Sony’s practice of paying for exclusive games and content. Xbox fans are quick to point out that PlayStation users receive exclusive content in games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Hogwarts Legacy.

That’s not all, as some Xbox gamers also mention that Sony gets many third-party exclusives, fully or across consoles, throughout a generation. This includes titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Street Fighter 5, and highly anticipated upcoming games like Final Fantasy 16 and the Silent Hill 2 remake. Xbox fans have also used screenshots from Sony’s own trailers that show off the exclusive deal.

Microsoft probably expected to face these questions as Activision Blizzard owns several multi-million selling multiplatform IPs, and Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises in the industry. Microsoft has previously mentioned that Call of Duty will not become exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem as it stated that the series will continue release on PlayStation devices even after the current deal between Sony and Activision ends.



Posted: Nov 15, 2022 1:53 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/xbox-activision-acquisition-eu-regulator-playstation-biased-tweet/