US tech giant Microsoft has completed its acquisition of games giant Activision Blizzard.
06.10.2023 - 17:53 / gamedeveloper.com / Phil Spencer / Bobby Kotick
Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft publisher Activision Blizzard might be coming to a particularly spooky conclusion. Sources close to the deal have told The Verge that the long, knock-down drag-out process might conclude on Friday October 13.
The conclusion of the deal apparently lays in the hands of the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority which initially blocked the merger on the grounds it would harm competition in the world of cloud game streaming. It reversed course and provisionally approved the merger after the terms of the deal were restructured.
Said rumble in the UK coincided with a regulatory brawl in United States, where the Federal Trade Commission raced to block the merger on the grounds it would harm competition in the broader video game market. A judge ruled against the FTC, and the agency suspended its challenge in the following weeks.
If the deal is finally being sealed it will conclude a tumultuous saga that technically began the day the State of California filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for allegedly fostering a culture of sexual harassment and discrimination, a culture that follow-up reporting implied went all the way up to CEO Bobby Kotick. The company has repeatedly and vocally denied the claims while also settling a lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the same grounds for $18 million. (Some of its pushbacks against the ongoing controversy have involved some dubious claims, like that the repeated employee walkouts were instigated by outside agitators like the Communication Workers of America).
It's been reported in the months after the lawsuit that Activision Blizzard began courting buyers in the broader video game market. Comments by Xbox president Phil Spencer took a fascinating turn when he first said the company was "evaluating its relationship" with Activision Blizzard.
It turned out to be one hell of a evaluation.
The regulatory battles over Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard have led to a number of confidential documents spilling out into the public eye, providing a feast of information for developers who want to know more about the inner workings of two industry titans.
A recent filing from Microsoft's lawyers leaked fascinating business details—like that 75 percent of Xbox owners have a Series S device, and that developers it picked up under the ZeniMax acquisition are working on games like Dishonored 3 and a remaster of Fallout 3.
On the Sony side, documents spilling out of its objections to the acquisition shed light on the budgets of Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part II. Each game cost over $200 million to produce (not counting the previous development costs
US tech giant Microsoft has completed its acquisition of games giant Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft has completed their vast $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, less than half a day after the UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) gave their approval to a revised package of concessions.
After two years co-piloting the biggest acquisition in video game history past an onslaught of challenges, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer now moves on to his next quest: making Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard worth the hassle. Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming system, closed its $69 billion deal to buy game-maker Activision Blizzard on Friday after fending off global opposition from antitrust regulators and rivals.
Xbox maker Microsoft closed its $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,75,620 crore) deal for Activision Blizzard on Friday, swelling its heft in the video-gaming market with best-selling titles including Call of Duty to better compete with industry leader Sony.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally complete, with the $68.7 billion deal gaining approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a new email to employees, CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed that he will stay on until the end of 2023 to help with the transition.
Microsoft has beencleared to acquire Activision Blizzard by UK regulators, removing the last hurdle standing in the way of closing the deal.
Microsoft is apparently not spooked by closing the deal on the unlucky day of Friday the 13th.
UPDATE: Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has announced that Activision Blizzard King is officially a part of Microsoft. This means that a cornucopia of big franchises, from “Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga” now fall under the Xbox banner.
Microsoft has completed their vast $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, less than half a day after the UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) gave their approval to a revised package of concessions.
The decision in Microsoft's legal case against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a historic one, but for those who don't have a law degree, it can be hard to understand. The case surrounds the Microsoft Corporation's attempt to purchase the game developing and publishing powerhouse Activision Blizzard, Inc., an enormous conglomerate that counts,, and among its flagship properties. Microsoft first announced its plans to buy Activision Blizzard in January 2022, and the FTC's review began shortly thereafter. The legal battle began in earnest by June 2023, when the FTC filed its first documentation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Following confirmation of Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard, controversial CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed he will remain boss of the Call of Duty maker only until the end of 2023.
The Communications Workers of America union has expressed delight in Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard, calling it a “new day” for workers at the Call of Duty maker.