Remember when Phil Spencer said he would be open to a "longer-term commitment (opens in new tab)" with Sony for access to "Call of Duty"? Sources told Reuters (opens in new tab) that Microsoft is preparing to present a concession to EU regulators regarding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which will mainly consist of a 10-year The offer is said to be an offer.

Microsoft has previously spoken publicly about such a deal. Last week, it was revealed that Microsoft apparently offered Sony a 10-year contract (opens in new tab) for CoD directly, but Sony declined to comment. Now it appears that Microsoft wants to present that deal to the regulator itself and let it decide if it is enough to allay their fears.

It is likely to succeed. The regulatory pressure Microsoft has encountered so far has been primarily aimed at competitors' access to the CoD, rather than broader issues of industry consolidation or monopoly. Both the UK and EU regulators have launched "phase 2" investigations into the acquisition, amidst much chatter about CoD, and the FTC is rumored to be preparing a challenge (opens in new tab) to the deal shortly. Even the Brazilian regulator that approved the acquisition has stated that it may adversely affect Sony's access to CoD, but seems to consider it more of a Sony issue than a Brazilian one (opens in new tab).

Microsoft needs to submit a concession proposal by the EU regulator's January deadline. The authorities are currently compiling a list of complaints about the deal for publication early next year. However, if Microsoft's proposed concessions can derail it, the approval process could be significantly shortened.

While it may seem like Microsoft has been acquiring Activision for decades, the deal was actually only announced in January of this year (open in new tab). Since then, we've all been caught up in a long back-and-forth between Microsoft, Sony, and regulators in countless countries; 16 countries are investigating the deal, and so far only Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia have cleared it.