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Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, makers of Call of Duty and more

This wasn’t on my Bingo card.

Blizzard and activision logos
Image: Techspot

It’s safe to say Activision Blizzard has been on shaky ground for close to a year now. The company has been involved in a toxic workplace lawsuit since July of last year. Since then, multiple reports have come out detailing a terrible work environment. One full of sexual misconduct allegations and discrimination.

Now, according to a new blog post from Xbox, Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard. The deal has a reported valuation of nearly $70 billion.

Activision Blizzard is best known for both World of Warcraft and the Call of Duty series. Microsoft purchasing the studio behind these games could have a huge effect on the market. It could also mean that Microsoft could force Bobby Kotick out of his role as CEO of the company (but not before he gets his “golden parachute“).

Kotick has been at the center of many of the issues of the company, and has been accused multiple times of trying to hide the scale of the company’s problems.

From the blog post on Microsoft’s site:

Until this transaction closes, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft Gaming will continue to operate independently. Once the deal is complete, the Activision Blizzard business will report to me as CEO, Microsoft Gaming.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Many people are already questioning the acquisition, with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noting, “This deal certainly raises some antitrust questions!”

READ MORE: Sony is acquiring Bungie for $3.6 billion

According to an email sent out by Kotick, the deal is expected to close in June of 2023. Microsoft PR has also stated that Kotick will “continue to serve as the CEO of Activision Blizzard.” Once the deal closes, however, “the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.”

We’ll continue to update this story as more information is made available.

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Former KnowTechie editor.

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