During the latest financial report from Activision Blizzard, CEO Bobby Kotick reported that the merger with Microsoft is expected to finalize by June 2023. The company was first bought by Microsoft on January 18.
Activision Blizard and Microsoft Merger
Microsoft bought out Activision Blizzard back on January 18, shortly after acquiring Zenimax. This purchase also came at a time when Blizzard was in the spotlight for a lot of controversies. Some of the company’s key members were accused of sexual harassment, causing other studios to distance themselves from Blizzard. This also made the company’s reputation heavily decline, with many fans no longer wanting to support anything they made. With Activision Blizzard’s merger with Microsoft, many begun to hope that this would be a positive reform for the company.
The financial report for Activation Blizzard showed growth compared to the previous quarter. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 likely played a large role in this, as it was the fastest-selling game in the franchise. Overwatch 2 also just launched on October 4, with 35 million players logging in during its first month.
Before the merger with Microsoft becomes finalized, there are still a few major releases set to release. World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is set to release on November 28. The latest expansion will bring the Drachyr Evoker, who is both a new race and class players can access. The other biggest release coming soon will be Diablo IV. While there is no set release date on this, it is being speculated that Blizzard is aiming for an April 2023 release.
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While it is unknown how exactly Activision Blizzard will change once its merger with Microsoft is finalized, it could be a positive change. Microsoft has been known to invest in many different types of projects, and they could help clean up the working conditions of Blizzard. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long after June 2023 to find out what this merger has in store.