Activision Blizzard is the game studio that creates Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Diablo. Microsoft has acquired them for $68.7 billion. This is the biggest acquisition in the history of gaming. Microsoft asserts that the deal will bring exclusive games to their Xbox consoles and give them a stronger place in the market.
The deal officially closes in the summer of 2023. Microsoft plans to add Activision’s games to Xbox Game Pass.
“Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog,” expressed Microsoft’s CEO of gaming Phil Spencer.
Xbox Game Pass currently has 25 million subscribers. Microsoft expects to increase the number significantly after the acquisition.
“We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The deal comes as a surprise to many within the gaming industry. However, after looking at the recent allegations from employees at Activision Blizzard, it is certainly true that some top-level executives may be on their way out and the stakeholders probably became more interested in selling the company rather than revising and implementing new staff and policies.
Executives at Activision Blizzard have been under fire over the last several months for sexual harassment complaints. According to The Verge, a lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) for promoting a culture of “constant sexual harassment.”
The company reached an $18 million settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last September. About 40 employees have since exited the company.
Microsoft has not disclosed any plans in regards to the complaints and Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick is still with the company and has not released a statement about his departure. Analysts expect him to resign sometime in 2022 or 2023.
Executives at the company will now report to Phil Spencer.
“As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players,” said Spencer. “We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.”
During 2022, Activision Blizzard will continue to develop and release content on all gaming platforms. In the middle of 2023, it is probable that most of their projects may be exclusive to Xbox consoles and PCs.
