Microsoft could ‘disrupt and threaten’ PlayStation business — Sony’s alleged Xbox fears laid bare in massive hack

What you need to know

• A recent ransomware attack led to a tranche of documents leaking from PlayStation developer Insomniac, detailing upcoming projects. 
• Included in the files, allegedly, were slides from an internal PlayStation presentation, revealing the firm’s true thoughts about Xbox’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard.
• Although they date back to the early days of the acquisition, Sony fears that Microsoft could “leapfrog” the firm via careful positioning of Call of Duty and other Activision franchises. 
• Right now, it’s unclear if these particular slides are real and part of the main leak. However, they still give a good overview of the reality Xbox now finds itself in, and potential dilemmas faced by Sony. 

Recently, PlayStation developer Insomniac was hit by a huge ransomware attack that has since seen various internal documents, videos, and other files leak onto the internet. 

The leak is reminiscent of Microsoft’s big court documents snafu from the summer, where Microsoft revealed embarrassing details about its internal thought processes, as well as a roadmap for a potential next Xbox. In this big document tranche from Insomniac, we’ve potentially gotten a glimpse into how PlayStation is feeling about Microsoft’s big Activision acquisition. 

In October 2023, Microsoft finalized its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, giving it control over franchises like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. Sony identifies the potential threats that it could face in a world where Microsoft owns Call of Duty, but it should be noted that some of these thoughts precede Microsoft’s deal with PlayStation to maintain parity for Call of Duty for at least ten years. 

Shared on platforms like Imgur, Sony allegedly goes into detail about how it views Microsoft’s position moving forward. Described by Sony as “the leapfrog,” the slide details how Microsoft is aiming to build a mobile gaming store to compete with Apple and Google, as per previous information. It also details how Microsoft could build a comprehensive ecosystem across mobile, PC, and console, referring to Xbox Game Pass as “GP” throughout. Sony details how its “pillars” are “dated,” and behind Microsoft, referring to Microsoft’s growing service game portfolio across titles like Sea of Thieves, Halo Infinite, and Minecraft. Sony also notes its need to “respond,” although its service game efforts have hit snags recently, with Destiny’s upcoming expansion delayed, and The Last of Us Online wholly cancelled.