User:Daniel Maak/Proposed2
Business acquisition held from 2022 to 2023 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, which were expected to close by Q2 2023 pending regulatory and shareholder approval, Microsoft would own Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King under the Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft Gaming) division.
Initiator | Microsoft |
---|---|
Target | Activision Blizzard |
Type | Full acquisition |
Cost | US$68.7 billion |
Initiated | January 18, 2022 |
Status | Pending |
The acquisition would give Microsoft ownership of franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush. If approved by international regulators, it would be the largest video game acquisition in history. Several countries have approved the merger, including the European Commission. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) formally filed complaints to block the acquisition on the basis that the merger would hinder competition, which has extended the expected completion into late 2023 or 2024. Sony has publicly argued against the merger, claiming that the combined company would deny the PlayStation platform of games like Call of Duty.