Everything you need to know about activation Blizzard Microsoft is acquiring

Microsoft has announced that it will acquire Activision Blizzard, a video game behemoth. According to a news statement, the move allows Microsoft, the maker of Xbox, to get a foothold in both the mobile gaming and metaverse spaces. Call of Duty, StarCraft, Candy Crush, and other well-known properties are all part of Activision Blizzard. With such a diverse portfolio, the corporation can appeal to a wide range of people, from casual gamers to esports fans.

But the company has a fair share of baggage. In November, the Wall Street Journal reported that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick knew about years of sexual misconduct claims from alleged rapes to harassment — and didn’t notify the company’s board. The company is currently being sued by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing for its failure to pay women equally as well as its “frat boy workplace culture.” In September, the company settled an $18 million lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations of harassment and discrimination against female employees.

 

Activision Blizzard employees grew so frustrated at Kotick’s handling of these situations over the years that they’ve repeatedly pressed Kotick to step down from his position. According to the press release, Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard. But, “once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.”

 

Microsoft clarified with IGN that Kotick will remain CEO for a while but Activision Blizzard will report to Spencer after the transition. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella seemed to allude to Activision Blizzard’s reputation in an investor call Tuesday where he stressed the importance of fostering a safe and equitable workplace culture. “After the close, we will have significant work to do in order to continue to build a culture where everyone can do their best work,” Nadella said.

 

The deal is valued at $68.7 billion and is subject to regulatory approvals. This is just the latest in gaming acquisition news. Last week, Take-Two Interactive (the company behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise) announced it would buy Zynga for $11.04 billion.

 

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