Activision Blizzard buoyed after Modern Warfare II sets quarterly sales record

gamedeveloper.com:

Activision Blizzard delivered record quarterly net bookings after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II achieved the highest opening-quarter sell-through in franchise history.

According to the company's fiscal results for the year-ended December 2022, fourth quarter net bookings increased by 43 percent year-on-year to $3.57 billion. Annual net bookings also rose to $8.51 billion across FY2022, an increase on the $8.35 billion the company delivered in FY2021.

Digging into those numbers, Activision Blizzard said it boasted 389 million monthly active users (MAUs) at the end of the fiscal year, and claimed it has created a foundation for "strong financial performance in 2023" after key franchises hit the ground running.

For instance, the performance of Call of Duty across console, PC, and mobile saw Activision revenue and operating income increase by roughly 60 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter.

"Following its October launch, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II delivered the highest opening-quarter sell-through in franchise history," reads the report. "The strong performance was broad-based, and digital sales were particularly robust on PC and in Asia-Pacific after Activision expanded distribution of the title to Steam's PC digital storefront.

"At the end of the fourth quarter, cumulative hours played were the highest in franchise history for a premium title at this stage of its release."

Activision Blizzard noted that franchise reach and engagement also received a shot in the arm after the November 2022 release of Warzone 2.0, the free-to-play Call of Duty battle royale mode–although it added that year-over-year engagement growth in the free title has "moderated" since it launched.

Call of Duty Mobile net bookings also