Activision Blizzard has released first quarter financial results for the year of 2023, announcing strong earnings, 62% increased segment revenue for Blizzard Entertainment, and double-digit growth in total mobile revenue — led by Candy Crush, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Diablo Immortal. The report has been released a day early, presumably in response to the CMA's decision to block the merger between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft and in effort to show shareholders that company performance remains very strong in 2023.
Activision BlizzardOn April 26, 2023, the United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority («CMA») announced a decision to block the merger, stating that competition concerns arose in relation to cloud gaming and that Microsoft’s remedies addressing any concerns in cloud gaming were not sufficient. Activision Blizzard considers that the CMA’s decision is disproportionate, irrational and inconsistent with the evidence. Microsoft has announced its decision to appeal the CMA’s ruling, and Activision Blizzard intends to fully support Microsoft’s efforts on this appeal. Activision Blizzard continues to believe that the deal is pro-competitive, will bring Activision Blizzard content to more gamers, and will result in substantial benefits to consumers and developers in the UK and globally. The parties continue to fully engage with other regulators reviewing the transaction to obtain any required regulatory approvals.As usual, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also made a statement, citing exceptional performance, strong pre-sales for Diablo IV, and renewed confidence in the deal with Microsoft despite regulator concerns.
CEO Bobby Kotick«In our 33rd year, Activision Blizzard is performing exceptionally Read more on wowhead.com