Microsoft Strikes Deal to Bring All Xbox Games to GeForce Now

Microsoft has inked a 10-year deal to bring all of its PC games to Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service, including Activision-Blizzard games should Microsoft’s acquisition of the publishing giant go through. The deal is yet another step by Microsoft to assuage the concerns of regulators over its pending $69 billion acquisition.

“The partnership delivers increased choice to gamers and resolves Nvidia’s concerns with Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” the company wrote on its website. “Nvidia therefore is offering its full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition.” The new deal will allow GeForce Now users to stream Xbox PC games purchased through the Windows Store, Steam, or the Epic Games Store.

The announcement comes on the heels of a similar deal Microsoft signed with Nintendo, which ensures Call of Duty will come to Nintendo devices “the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity.” The Nvidia deal differs in that it encapsulates all Xbox PC games, not just Call of Duty, and is notable considering GeForce Now is a direct competitor to Microsoft’s own cloud gaming service.

Microsoft previously made the same 10-year Call of Duty commitment to Valve, though Gabe Newell said a formal agreement “wasn’t necessary.” The deal was also extended to Sony, though the PlayStation parent company has declined to sign as it continues to push back against the acquisition.

These commitments are an appeal to regulators’ primary concerns about Microsoft making Activision-Blizzard’s biggest games, namely Call of Duty, exclusive to Xbox — a move they argue would stifle competition and therefore harm consumers.

The Nvidia commitment was announced earlier today during a press conference in Brussels, during which Microsoft also dismissed the idea of splitting up Activision-Blizzard’s major subsidiaries — Activision, Blizzard, and King — to push the merger through regulatory reviews.

Announced over a year ago, the acquisition is being contested by the U.S.’s Federal Trade Commission, U.K.’s Competitions and Markets Authority, and most recently the Europeon Union. Despite the setbacks, Xbox’s Phil Spencer told IGN he remains confident the deal will go through.

“I think the more regulators are informed about what gaming is, how the business runs, who the players are, and what our aspiration is as Team Xbox is just a good thing for the industry itself,” he said.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.