Microsoft set to purchase Activision Blizzard in $68.7 billion deal
Microsoft announced plans on Tuesday morning to purchase gaming mega-publisher Activision Blizzard for a record-setting $68.7 billion. When finalized, the acquisition would bring franchises like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and many more under the umbrella of the Xbox maker.
Today's announcement follows Microsoft's $7.8 billion acquisition of Bethesda, announced just 15 months ago. After some initial confusion about what that purchase meant for Bethesda's multi-platform titles, it has since become clear that most of Bethesda's biggest franchises, such as The Elder Scrolls, will not appear on competing consoles like the PlayStation 5.
In an encouraging sign for fans of Activision Blizzard's multi-platform games, Microsoft said in its announcement that "Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms, and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward." Bloomberg also cites "a person familiar with the company’s thinking" in reporting that "Microsoft plans to keep making some of Activision’s games for PlayStation consoles but will also keep some content exclusive to Xbox." But Microsoft and Bethesda executives made similar positive noises about multi-platform titles before the deal was closed, only to shift toward Microsoft exclusivity after it was finalized.
