Microsoft announced that they will acquire Activision Blizzard at USD 95.00 per share for an estimated all-cash value of USD 68.7 billion, inclusive of Activision Blizzard’s net cash. This makes Microsoft the world’s third-largest company by revenue just behind Tencent and Sony. With the acquisition, iconic franchises like “Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty”, and “Candy Crush,” will be added to Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio.
Bobby Kotick will remain as the CEO of Activision Blizzard, and once the team closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming. With Mobile being the largest segment in gaming, amassing 95% of global players, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard aim to empower players to enjoy the most-immersive franchises, like “Halo” and “Warcraft.”
“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms. 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.” – Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
