Microsoft Just Bought Activision Blizzard for $69 Billion — So What’s Next?
It’s official: Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard for an incredible $69 billion. It’s the biggest buyout in video game history, and in one fell swoop expands Xbox’s first-party offering to encompass everything from Call of Duty to World of Warcraft.
Thoughts immediately turn to Game Pass and how its library of games may expand. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has already said work has begun on bringing Activision Blizzard games to Game Pass, although he suggested it may take some time for them to show up. Activision Blizzard itself has indicated this year’s Diablo 4 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 won’t hit Microsoft’s subscription service until 2024.
“Microsoft has clearly missed the 2023 holiday marketing window given how long this approval process has taken,” Gareth Sutcliffe, senior games analyst at Enders Analysis, told IGN. “It’s going to be well into 2024 before we start to see the first signs of joint marketing and other combined initiatives with Activision franchises.”
Whether it’s this year or next, it’s clear a long list of Activision Blizzard games will soon head to Game Pass, which overnight becomes an even better deal for subscribers. Will Microsoft chuck the entire Call of Duty back catalogue into Game Pass? Why not? What about Blizzard’s games? It would make a lot of sense. Xbox owners and Game Pass subscribers are already rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of what’s to come. But it’s worth remembering what this eye-watering transaction is all about: making Xbox competitive again.
It’s no secret that Xbox has struggled ever since the launch of the Xbox One back in 2013. While the Xbox Series X and S have fared better than their ill-fated predecessor, Sony with the PlayStation 4 and now the
Read more on ign.com
