Microsoft, the tech giant behind the Xbox brand, announced plans today to acquire Activision Blizzard. The deal is worth 68.7 billion dollars.
This deal may have busted a few 2022 bingo cards.
In a blog post earlier today, CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer had this to say:
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will continue to operate separately until the deal is finalized.
As we pursue that mission, it is incredibly exciting to announce that Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard.
What the acquisition means
The acquisition includes popular franchises from Activision, Blizzard, and King Studios. Games like Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush will now fly under the Microsoft games banner. The sale also boosts Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio. Phil Spencer mentions that they will look to bring both new and old titles from Activision Blizzard’s library to the service.
In the press release, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella had this to say:
Mixed reactions
You can read the official Microsoft press conference here. As well as Phil Spencer’s blog post.
