In a turn of events, Microsoft has finally managed to acquire Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has spent an astonishing $68.7 billion to secure the deal. This purchase did not come easy; Microsoft faced regulatory hurdles in both the UK and the US. In the end, Microsoft was still victorious.
Today is a good day to play. We officially welcome Activision Blizzard King to Team Xbox. Together, we’ll create stories and experiences that bring players together, in a culture empowering everyone to do their best work and celebrate diverse perspectives. https://t.co/KBCESknYYh https://t.co/jTHOeH48Wx
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 13, 2023
This acquisition has extensive effects on the gaming industry. With this, Microsoft is the third largest company in revenue. Moreover, Microsoft aims to integrate many of Activision Blizzard’s popular titles into its Xbox Game Pass service. While some titles will not immediately join the Game Pass roster, the move marks an ambitious expansion in Microsoft’s gaming initiatives.
Certainly, gamers aren’t the sole focus here. Additionally, the deal impacts the business sector significantly. In fact, it dwarfs Microsoft’s past acquisitions like LinkedIn and Bethesda. Clearly, Microsoft aims to dominate the gaming world.
How many studios does Microsoft own?
It’s clear that Microsoft has been aggressively expanding its portfolio, most notably with its recent acquisition of Activision. This move serves as a significant indicator of Microsoft’s ambition to dominate the gaming industry. These are the studios under Microsoft now:
Activision Blizzard King:
- Activision
- Activision Shanghai Studio
- Beenox
- Demonware
- Digital Legends Entertainment
- High Moon Studios
- Infinity Ward
- Raven Software
- Sledgehammer
- Solid State Studios
- Toys for Bob
- Treyarch
- Blizzard Albany/Boston/Irvine
- King Publishing
The most recent and biggest acquisition of Microsoft at $68.9 billion. The deal has been an ambitious one and has set a different bar for the whole industry. Blizzard’s IPs consists of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Overwatch which already enchances the Microsoft roster but with Activision, they attain Call of Duty, one of the greatest franchises to ever walk upon the gaming industry ever.
With this acquisition, the competition has really titled towards Microsoft at an immense level, a level we never anticipated at all.
Xbox Game Studios:
- 343 Industries
- The Coalition
- Compulsion Games
- Double Fine Productions
- The initiative
- inXile Entertainments
- Mojang Studios
- Ninja Theory
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Playground Games
- Rare
- Turn 10 Studios
- Undead Labs
- Worlds Edge
- Xbox game studios publishing
With Xbox Game Studios, their are giants like Rare, Turn 10 Studios, Mojang Studios, and many more that end up granting games like GoldenEye 007, the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, and more recent titles such as Sea of Thieves. There are also Xbox exclusives such as Viva Pinata and Perfect Dark Zero.
As such, Mojang Studios offers the Minecraft series, its most successful IP. With Turn 10 and Playground Games, it grants Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsports. All these are games at very high levels and have made a mark on its own.
Zenimax Studios:
- Bethesda Softworks
- Alpha Dog games
- Arkane Studios
- id Software
- Machine Games
- Roundhouse Games
- Tango Gameworks
- Zenimax Online Studios
The acquisition of Zenimax led to the acquisition of one of the most successful game studios, Bethesda. This led to games like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and now the recent release, Starfield to fall under Microsoft. Similarly, with id Software, they attained Doom, Quake, and Rage franchises, and with Arkane Studios, Prey, Dishonored, and the upcoming Redfall.
Such games have had an immense amount of effect on the gaming industry and community and hence have shown the amount of influence that Microsoft can now demonstrate.
With the amount of of studios acquired by Microsoft, it’s gonna leave a mark on the industry. Now we just have to wait in see how this affects the games and gamers on the scene.