On January 18th, 2022, Microsoft announced their plans to acquire Activision Blizzard in what is currently their biggest acquisition deal to date. This $68.7 billion deal will grant Microsoft ownership to big brand names like King (associated with mobile gaming) and well known franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, and many others.

This historical acquisition could change the future of those beloved franchises. As we look towards the future of Microsoft and Activision, we see potential Xbox exclusives of Activision Blizzard names, as well as exciting mergers of fan favorite games and new media.

Microsoft News Center states,

“Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will empower players to enjoy the most-immersive franchises, like ‘Halo’ and ‘Warcraft,’ virtually anywhere they want. And with games like ‘Candy Crush,’ Activision Blizzard´s mobile business represents a significant presence and opportunity for Microsoft in this fast-growing segment.”

Take note, this monumental deal took place not long after the lawsuits and accusations of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment against Activision Blizzard. Though lawsuits regarding inappropriate behavior and abuse at the workplace have ensued, strikes from partnering Activision Blizzard studios have ensued, many calling for the resignation of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has acquired a major video game company. Back in 2020, Microsoft also purchased ZeniMax Media, parent company of video game legends Bethesda Studios, for $7.5 billion. Since then, Xbox has seen an increase in Game Pass subscribers, and Bethesda has changed the exclusivity on some of their bigger upcoming titles like “Starfield” to be first party Microsoft exclusives.

Some may argue that with the amount of video game companies Microsoft has acquired through buying parent companies, the privacy and data of Microsoft users is at a potential risk.
Tiffany C. Li argues in her article “Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal is bad for privacy rights” that,

“The Activision Blizzard deal will also mean a lot more user data for Microsoft (and it already has access to quite a lot)… The privacy risks related to data collection are compounded when a company is able to collect vast amounts of data from different sources, all on the same individual.”

Nonetheless, this exciting new acquisition opens up dozens of doors of opportunity for the world of Microsoft gaming, and fans can’t wait to see what this new collaboration will bring.