Microsoft's promise it would keep Call of Duty on rival console platforms after buying Activision Blizzard prompted concern within Bethesda at its highest levels, a newly-published email now shows.
Bethesda marketing exec Pete Hines emailed bosses, including Todd Howard, to highlight the approach Microsoft was taking with Activision in order to court regulatory approval and note that it was "the opposite" of what Bethesda itself had just been "asked (told) to do" with its own games.
The email, dated 2nd October last year, expresses concern that Bethesda would be publicly questioned on why games like Starfield are Xbox-only following Microsoft's acquisition, as opposed to future incarnations of Call of Duty after Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.