Regulators around the world are closely watching Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard (opens in new tab), with one series in particular the focus. Call of Duty" is now so big that the series itself could become a competitive concern, opponents of the acquisition say. Their argument is that if Microsoft completes the acquisition and makes COD exclusive to Microsoft's services in a few years, it risks serious harm to competitors and the broader gaming environment.

Whether you believe it or not, it is one of the biggest question marks against the deal, so much so that Phil Spencer and other Microsoft executives are now obsessed with talking about the glorious multiplatform future of Call of Duty." Take it off PlayStation... anyone who says that is fired!"

This quote.

I made up this quote for laughs, but you get the drift: Microsoft offered Sony a 10-year warranty, which of course Sony would not accept, and yesterday the news that they agreed with Nintendo (opens in new tab) to bring COD to Switch was (which is certainly interesting: I love the Switch, but there's no way Modern Warfare 2 will run on it these days.)

To show how nervous the companies are about the possibility of COD messing up the deal, Microsoft is going further than this. Microsoft recently offered Valve a "long-term Call of Duty commitment" regarding the Steam platform, where the series has just returned after a long hiatus, but Gabe Newell said, well, okay. We trust you.

"We are pleased that Microsoft wants to continue to use Steam to bring Call of Duty to its customers after the Activision acquisition is complete," said Newell in a statement provided to Kotaku (opens in new tab). Microsoft has been with Steam for a long time and we take that as a signal that gamers are happy with Steam and the work we do." Our job is to continue to create valuable features for all Steam customers and partners, not just Microsoft."

This is relatively formulaic, but Newell kept things as Valve-esque as possible, making it clear that he really doesn't see Call of Duty's success as a problem.

"Microsoft has proposed a long-term commitment to Call of Duty and even sent us a draft agreement. We have no belief that a) we would require any partner to sign a contract that would tie them to shipping the game on Steam into the distant future, and b) that they would be willing to make a long-term commitment to the game,"

"We are not interested in a contract that would tie them to shipping the game on Steam for a long time.

As you wish. And it must be rather cringe-worthy for Sony's lawyers, who are currently trying to tell anyone who will listen that Microsoft's acquisition of Call of Duty could mean death for competing platforms. Valve's style has always been this way. This is the attitude: the rising tide against gaming on the PC lifts all boats, and they don't want to do any hand-wringing about future directions. Of course, Gabe Newell thinks well of Microsoft. He developed the first version of the Windows operating system at Microsoft in the 1980s, then left in 1996 to co-found Valve.

It is expected that the above will be cited in countless filings as Microsoft attempts to have the agreement approved in various jurisdictions.