EA says Call of Duty Xbox exclusivity would be ‘a tremendous opportunity’ for Battlefield

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has said that Call of Duty potentially becoming exclusive to Xbox platforms would present a “tremendous opportunity” for Battlefield.

Speaking during a Goldman Sachs event (first reported by journalist Stephen Totilo), Wilson said he sees the uncertainty over the rival franchise as a potential opportunity for its own first-person shooter.

“In a world where there may be questions over the future of Call of Duty and what platforms that might be on or might not be on, being platform agnostic and completely cross-platform with Battlefield, I think is a tremendous opportunity,” he said, referencing the ongoing war of words between Microsoft and Sony over the future of the gaming mega-property.

Questions over the future of the Call of Duty franchise have been raised as Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which would see the platform holder own the rights to the world’s biggest shooter, is scrutinised by regulators.

Despite assurances from Xbox leadership that the annual series, which is regularly the best-selling release of the year in the US, would remain on PlayStation, that hasn’t stopped regulators and senior Sony figures from expressing concern.

And the war of words is becoming increasingly public, with PlayStation boss Jim Ryan telling the press recently that Microsoft’s offer in regards to the future of Call of Duty was “inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers.”

The current Call of Duty deal between Sony and Activision Blizzard is believed to cover this year’s Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, and a new game from Black Ops developer Treyarch, which may not arrive until 2024.

Microsoft’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard is currently being scrutinised by regulators concerned about potential antitrust issues during a time of increasing consolidation in the gaming industry.

Earlier this month, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its inquiry into the merger may be expanded due to outstanding concerns, most notably the impact the deal could have on Sony‘s ability to compete.

Wilson is the latest EA figurehead to express their thoughts on the future of the Battlefield brand, after Vince Zampella said that he thought that the troubled Battlefield 2042 “strayed too far from what Battlefield is” in a recent interview.