Finally: Microsoft has Activision in the bag

Finally: Microsoft has Activision in the bag

San Francisco, October 14, 2023

Microsoft has successfully completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It is the largest deal in the history of Microsoft and the gaming industry.

The companies announced the deal on Friday, shortly after receiving final approval from British regulators.

The deal, first announced in January 2022, has come under intense scrutiny from UK and US antitrust regulators amid concerns that the merger would hamper competition in the gaming industry.

After the closure, Microsoft’s Xbox business will merge with the
world’s largest games publisher and grants Microsoft control over a variety of game franchises, including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch, StarCraft, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Warcraft.

The deal will bolster Microsoft’s 23-studio gaming division with Activision Blizzard’s main divisions: Activision, Blizzard and Candy Crush maker King.

Quote: “Today is a good day to play,” said Xbox boss Phil Spencer. “We officially welcome Activision Blizzard King to Team Xbox. Together we will create stories and experiences that bring players together in a culture that allows everyone to be their best and celebrate different perspectives.”

To secure approval, Microsoft made a number of concessions, including a promise not to restrict Activision titles to rival consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation.

To address Britain’s concerns, Microsoft agreed to transfer the cloud gaming rights for all current and future Activision Blizzard games to competitor Ubisoft Entertainment.

Microsoft now plans to add a number of Activision Blizzard games to Xbox Game Pass, its video game subscription service for Xbox consoles and PCs. b

Activision Blizzard CEO Bob Kotick will remain on board to support the transition through the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, the FTC said it would continue to focus on its appeal against the takeover.