Microsoft buying Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard for nearly $70bn
Microsoft is buying Call of Duty and World of Warcraft maker Activision Blizzard in an astonishing, industry-shaking deal worth $68.7bn.
The deal, which is expected to be approved in 2023, was confirmed by Microsoft in a blog post from Xbox boss Phil Spencer.
The monumental acquisition – by far the largest ever seen in video games, and the largest in Microsoft’s history – means Microsoft will own blockbuster franchises such as Call of Duty, Spyro, Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot and Tony Hawk from Activision, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Hearthstone and StarCraft from Blizzard, as well as Candy Crush from mobile arm King.
Microsoft will take over Activision, Blizzard, and all of its subsidiary studios – including Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob and Treyarch. That accounts for around 10,000 employees.