Microsoft Announces 10-Year Partnership with Boosteroid to Support Ukrainian Game Development Community
Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Ukrainian cloud gaming provider Boosteroid, offering Xbox PC games as well as Activision Blizzard titles, such as Call of Duty, to the platform's 4 million users.[0] With its development team based in Ukraine, Microsoft has promised to work on an initiative supporting the local game development community to invest further in the economic recovery of the country. Microsoft has also offered Sony a 10-year, legally enforceable contract to make each new Call of Duty game available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox – with full content and feature parity.[1]
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, commented that “Microsoft partnering with Boosteroid is welcome news and further evidence of the company’s ongoing support for Ukraine. Boosteroid’s Ukrainian dev team has built a world-class streaming platform under the most challenging circumstances and demonstrates the ingenuity and creativity of our citizens and local game developers.”[2]
Microsoft is hoping this move will make it clear to regulators that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make Call of Duty available on far more devices than before.[3] Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, said, “If the only argument is that Microsoft is going to withhold Call of Duty from other platforms, and we’ve now entered into contracts that are going to bring this to many more devices and many more platforms, that is a pretty hard case to make to a court.”[4] Microsoft is also partnering with Ubitus and Nintendo, further demonstrating their commitment to make Call of Duty available on as many devices as possible.
0. “Microsoft Signs 10-Year Partnership to Bring Xbox Games on PC to Cloud Service Boosteroid – News” VGChartz, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.vgchartz.com/article/456565/microsoft-signs-10-year-partnership-to-bring-xbox-games-on-pc-to-cloud-service-boosteroid/
1. “Microsoft (MSFT) Inks Xbox Deal With Boosteroid Cloud Service” Zacks Investment Research, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2066103/microsoft-msft-inks-xbox-deal-with-boosteroid-cloud-service
2. “Microsoft Signs Another 10-Year Call Of Duty Deal” Yahoo Life, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/microsoft-signs-another-10-call-152945527.html
3. “Microsoft Forges Long-Term Deal With Boosteroid After Nintendo, Nvidia To Dispel Concerns Over Activision Deal” Yahoo Life, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/microsoft-forges-long-term-deal-174842754.html
4. “Microsoft will bring Call of Duty and its PC games to a cloud service you’ve probably never heard of” Engadget, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-will-bring-call-of-duty-and-its-pc-games-to-a-cloud-service-youve-probably-never-heard-of-171502988.html
