Microsoft Strikes Deal to Acquire Activision Blizzard for a Staggering $68.7 Billion

All the gaming enthusiasts around the globe must have seen the name Activision somewhere. As it is the profound publisher of some really renowned games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Diablo. Now in a recent breakthrough, the silicon valley giant Microsoft has struck a deal with Activision and will acquire it for $68.7 Billion. It is far more than the $26 billion Microsoft paid to purchase LinkedIn in 2016. So far, it’s Microsoft’s biggest deal in the gaming industry. Furthermore, the company claims that it would become the “third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony” once the deal closes.

Microsoft to Acquire Activision for $68.7 Billion

In addition to that, Microsoft intends to add the majority of Activision’s games to Xbox Game Pass once the deal completes. As Microsoft acquires Activision, it would soon publish franchises such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, etc. According to  Microsoft’s CEO of gaming Phil Spencer,

Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog.

It is pertinent to mention here that Xbox Game Pass now has over 25 million subscribers, as Microsoft continues to acquire studios to promote the subscription service. In this regard, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella said,

We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community, and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive, and accessible to all.