Since the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard merger is pretty much a done deal, many people were wondering how Activision Blizzard games will appear on Microsoft, Sony, Switch, and other platforms without locking those games to something like Xbox Game Pass. It looks like the speculation is over, with Ubisoft+ coming to the party as the provider of Activision Blizzard titles on all 3 major gaming consoles and PC.
In a statement made early this morning, Senior Community Experience Manager Daniel O’Connor put out the following press release about the decision, which you can read below:
While this means that some people might have to sign up for the Ubisoft+ service ($17.99USD/$19.95AUD per month) in order to get access to Activision Blizzard games in the future, such as PC owners, while others might get something from the Ubisoft+ service if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PlayStation Plus Extra & Deluxe/Premium tiers (Not confirmed if Ubisoft+ Classics will be expanded for this purpose).
Microsoft confirmed that the deal it has struck with Ubisoft, which it hopes will sway the CMA’s revised decision over the ABK acquisition in its favor, will see Ubisoft pay for the rights to distribute the games through its own platform and channels, saying:
“The agreement provides Ubisoft with a unique opportunity to commercialize the distribution of games via cloud streaming. The agreement will enable Ubisoft to innovate and encourage different business models in the licensing and pricing of these games on cloud streaming services worldwide. Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. It will also give Ubisoft the opportunity to offer Activision Blizzard’s games to cloud gaming services running non-Windows operating systems.”
There will be more on this news as things develop.