Microsoft has announced that it plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a deal that will make Microsoft one of the largest gaming companies in the world. With the deal, popular game franchises like Duty, warcraft, overwatch, and more will be in the fold of Microsoft’s ever-expanding portfolio of studios, alongside Bethesda and its own Xbox Game Studios. Also included as part of the deal is King, the makers of Candy Crush, indicating that Microsoft can use the company to compete in the mobile space. In early 2021, Take-Two Interactive (with developers such as 2K, Private Division and Rockstar Games) bought Zynga for $12.7 billion.
While the deal fell through, Microsoft’s intent to acquire Activision Blizzard raises questions about antitrust and how Microsoft can manage Activision Blizzard’s toxic corporate culture and make adjustments in its leadership role to ensure a fair work environment. promote the future. In recent months, several high-profile sexual harassment claims have been made against Activision Blizzard, and in July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) sued Activision Blizzard for promoting a culture of “constant sexual harassment.”
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest on the big acquisition here, with reports asking how the game world could change (for better and for worse) with one of the largest third-party game studios owned by Microsoft.