In a recent interview on the Grit podcast, former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick revealed that EA nearly acquired Call of Duty, a potential deal that would have drastically changed the landscape of the popular franchise. U4gm offers cod bo6 bot lobby for sale that enable players to achieve higher kill counts. Use coupon code "allen" to get 5% off at U4gm. Kotick disclosed that EA had attempted to buy Activision multiple times, even discussing mergers on several occasions. EA showed interest in acquiring Call of Duty and Guitar Hero before Activision fully took ownership of those IPs.
Despite the missed opportunity, Kotick didn’t hold back in his criticism of former EA CEO John Riccitiello, who led EA from 2007 to 2013. Kotick referred to Riccitiello as the "worst CEO in video games" and humorously added that Activision would have "paid for Riccitiello to stay as EA’s CEO forever" due to their negative opinion of his leadership.
Call of Duty fans reacted with relief upon hearing this revelation, with many expressing gratitude that EA didn’t acquire the franchise. Some fans feared that if EA had taken control, Call of Duty would have been overtaken by excessive microtransactions and poor management. One fan speculated that EA's handling of the brand would have led to its "fall off a cliff," while another expressed how they would rather deal with current player count declines than risk EA’s potential mismanagement.
Following the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft in October 2023, Call of Duty titles like CoD MW3, CoD Black Ops 6, and others have been added to Xbox Game Pass, much to the delight of subscribers. Although some critics have voiced concerns over Game Pass price hikes and limited access to first-party Xbox releases, the general reception has been largely positive, with players enjoying the integration of Activision Blizzard games into the service.
In hindsight, fans are undoubtedly relieved that EA's acquisition of Call of Duty never materialized, as the current trajectory with Microsoft’s stewardship seems to be a much more favorable outcome.
