Microsoft has officially purchased Activision Blizzard in one of the biggest acquisitions in gaming history.
The news came just minutes after a report from the Wall Street Journal stating that the deal between the two gigantic companies was about to take place for a massive $68.7 billion. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer then made the acquisition official via an Xbox Newswire post welcoming the many teams and franchises under Activision Blizzard to the company.
- READ MORE: E3 Digital Event Reportedly A Mess And "Probably" Cancelled
Microsoft Purchases Activision Blizzard
Today's news comes less than a year after Microsoft closed on a deal to purchase Bethesda for $7.5 billion, which many believed to be as big as it gets. But now the Microsoft family grows even further as they welcome the creators of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, Overwatch, StarCraft, and so many more to team Xbox.
Phil Spencer said that until the transaction is officially completed, Activision Blizzard and Micorosft Gaming will continue to operate independently. According to CharlieINTEL, an email from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick states the deal isn't due to close until June 2023.
Although the deal won't affect players for another year, Phil Spencer did state that once closed Micorosft will "offer as many Activision Blizzard games as [they] can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog".
This is certainly a huge win for Xbox Game Pass users as the massive subscription service continues to grow. Whether or not massive titles such as Call of Duty will become Xbox exclusives is yet to be known.
- READ MORE: Modern Warfare 2 Reportedly Releasing Early Due To Poor Vanguard Sales
Spencer also confirmed that once the deal is closed Activision Blizzard will report directly to him as CEO of Micorosft Gaming. More details on the massive acquisition can be found on the official Xbox website.
We will be updating this article with more details as the story develops.