New Delhi: In the biggest deal ever in the gaming world, Microsoft on Tuesday announced acquisition of Activision Blizzard, maker of popular games like Call of Duty (COD) and Warcraft, for $68.7 billion.
When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony.
The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from Activision, Blizzard and King Studios such as “Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty” and “Candy Crush,” in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming.
The company has studios around the word with approximately 10,000 employees.
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said, “We are investing deeply in world-class content, community and cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming accessible to all. safe, inclusive and accessible to all.” ,
“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and the Metaverse will play a vital role in the growth of the platform,” he added.
This acquisition will accelerate the growth of Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console and cloud and provide the building blocks for the metaverse.
Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard.
Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.
“For more than 30 years, our incredibly talented teams have created some of the most successful games ever,” Kotick said.
“Combining Activision Blizzard’s exceptional franchise with world-class talent and Microsoft’s technology, delivery, access to talent, ambitious vision and shared commitment to gaming and inclusion will help ensure our continued success in an increasingly competitive industry.” They said. added.
Mobile is the largest segment in gaming, with around 95 percent of players worldwide enjoying games on mobile.
The acquisition also strengthens Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio, with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games in Game Pass, reaching a new milestone of more than 25 million subscribers.
Microsoft said that with Activision Blizzard’s nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and a $3 billion franchise, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry.
When closed, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios with additional publishing and export production capabilities.
The deal is expected to close in the financial year 2023.
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