Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that Microsoft has reached an agreement to "keep Call of Duty on PlayStation".

In a tweet, Spencer said: "We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard."

Eurogamer understands this deal has been offered for 10 years - the same as had previously been offered to PlayStation, and had also been accepted by Nintendo.

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"We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favourite games," Spencer added.

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023

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"From Day One of this acquisition, we've been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers," Microsoft president Brad Smith said. "Even after we cross the finish line for this deal's approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before."

Yesterday, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had its final attempt to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard denied.

Just hours after US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who presided over the main case, rejected the FTC's initial motion to appeal against this week's Microsoft and Activision Blizzard ruling, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals similarly shut down a request for emergency relief.

Earlier this week, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority extended its deadline for a final decision on Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover bid.

The regulator was expected to formally block the deal - as previously announced - on 18th July, but Microsoft has since submitted a "detailed and complex" proposal with changes in circumstances. As such, the CMA will take another six weeks to consider the new submission, with this revised period ending 29th August.