Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard: what happens to games? Will they be Xbox / PC exclusive?
Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard
It is news today that Microsoft is about to buy Activision Blizzard. The $ 68.7 billion operation is causing a stir, but there is a question that haunts players right now. Will the games be PC / Xbox exclusive? Sagas like that of Call of Duty will no longer be on PlayStation 4 and PS5? What do we know for the moment?First of all, we specify that we do not have a clear and definitive answer for the entire stock of Activision Blizzard titles. It is obvious that Microsoft is not ready to give precise details right away.
That said, there is a number of official information to consider. First of all, Phil Spencer has confirmed that - until the acquisition is definitively completed - Xbox Game Studios and Activision Blizzard will act separately. According to Microsoft, the acquisition will be completed between July 2022 and June 2023. In the meantime, therefore, the games will arrive on PlayStation. In addition, there will be a number of games in development for some time also for PlayStation, such as the next Call of Duty: those will also be cross-platform. Microsoft has always respected the previous agreements of the teams it has purchased.
We also know that a portion of Activision Blizzard games will come to Xbox Game Pass. Some of these could even go as far as D1. In the official statement, it talks about "as many Activision Blizzard games as possible, both new and old". It is therefore not certain that every new game from the company will be released immediately on Xbox Game Pass.
Add to this an interesting statement: "Activision Blizzard games are loved on multiple platforms and we want to continue supporting those communities. in the future!". This sentence is deliberately ambiguous. It may mean that certain games will still arrive on PlayStation, but which ones? An easy answer is Call of Duty Warzone, free to play already available on PS4 and PS5. Like Minecraft, it is possible that Microsoft will continue to support other platforms for certain titles then, but for the moment we don't have a definitive answer.
In the case of Bethesda, Microsoft has always preferred to be slightly ambiguous with the question exclusivity, so we do not believe that in the case of Activision Blizzard that will change. For Phil Spencer's full statement on the acquisition, here's our news.
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Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion
FILE - The Activision Blizzard Booth is shown on June 13, 2013 the during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, for $68.7 billion to gain access to blockbuster games including Call of Duty and Candy Crush. The all-cash deal will let Microsoft accelerate mobile gaming and provide it building blocks for the metaverse, or a virtual environment. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - The Activision Blizzard Booth is shown on June 13, 2013 the during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, for $68.7 billion to gain access to blockbuster games including Call of Duty and Candy Crush. The all-cash deal will let Microsoft accelerate mobile gaming and provide it building blocks for the metaverse, or a virtual environment. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Microsoft is buying the gaming company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, gaining access to blockbuster games like “Call of Duty” and ”Candy Crush.”
The all-cash deal will let Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming system, accelerate mobile gaming and provide building blocks for the metaverse, or a virtual environment.
The announcement Tuesday arrives with Activision still in turmoil over allegations of misconduct and unequal pay.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a conference call with investors “the culture of our organization is my number one priority” and that “it’s critical for Activision Blizzard to drive forward on its” commitments to improve its workplace culture.
Activision disclosed last year it was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission over complaints of workplace discrimination.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will retain his role, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the Santa Monica, California, company’s culture and accelerate business growth.
The deal Tuesday follows Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition last year of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks, which is behind popular video games The Elder Scrolls, Doom and Fallout.
Microsoft said in both cases that the deals will help beef up its Xbox Game Pass game subscription service.
