After nearly two years of legal actions and efforts, Microsoft has finally acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7. This is the biggest acquisition of Microsoft and the video game industry, making the tech company the owner of some of the biggest franchises like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Candy Crush which means they will eventually come to Game Pass at some point.
United Kindom’s CMA Finally Approved Mircosoft’s Activision Acquisition
Back in January of 2022, Microsoft announced their plan to acquire Activision-Blizzard company but the company faced a lot of legal conflicts, most notably from the United States and the United Kingdom. While Microsoft managed to gain the approval of the USA’s FTC, the UK’s CMA wasn’t very convinced of this acquisition and therefore became an obstacle for the company.
Microsoft has announced that they have finally got the approval from the UK’s CMA and with that, the giant tech company is clear to close the deal. The deal has already caused Sony’s stock to fall 13%. The biggest issue stated by the CMA was cloud gaming which Microsoft resolved by selling cloud-gaming rights to Ubisoft as well.
In an official announcement, Ubisoft stated:
All the games that are acoming from Activision Blizzard in the next 15 years and those games that exist now we, we have those streaming rights in perpetuity.
Ubisoft
As it was mentioned in the buyout form, if the deal was to close, the majority of Activision Blizzard directors, most notably Bobby Kotick would have to resign. Now that the deal is done, Robert Kotick alongside other members of the board Reveta, Bowers, Kerry Carr, Robert Corti, Barry Meyer, and a few other individuals will have to leave the company.
Related:
Microsoft Wins Case Against FTC to Acquire Activision Blizzard
The best part of this deal being closed for Xbox fans is that now the majority of games made and published by this company will arrive in Game Pass. However, fans shouldn’t expect this to happen in 2023 since it will take a few months to complete all the paperwork and make all the games available on the streaming service.
After Microsoft closed the deal on Friday, October 13, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer shared this statement:
We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Super Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world.
I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.
As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.
Phil Spancer
