After a long and grueling process, Microsoft has officially welcomed Activision Blizzard into its fold. The acquisition’s last hurdle, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, had maintained a staunch disapproval over the $69 billion deal due to concerns about its impact on industry competition and cloud gaming.
In an effort to quell their concerns, Microsoft submitted a revised deal for the CMA to review in August, and after three-month wait it has officially gone through. With the approval of the CMA, Microsoft has all the approvals needed to complete its acquisition, marking it as the largest in gaming history.
CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer, announced the completion of the deal in an Xbox Wire post sharing his admiration and excitement for working with Activison Blizzard in the future as one team.
“Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favorite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more,” said Spencer.
“…For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise.”
“Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for the ongoing support. We have so much more to come in the months ahead – I’m excited for the future and cannot wait to share it with you,” he concluded.
Soon after Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, released a company letter congratulating the completion of the acquisition. Additionally, Kotick announced that he would continue serving as Activision Blizzard’s CEO until the end of 2023 to help with the company transition.
“Today marks a milestone in our company’s celebrated history. Combining with Microsoft will bring new resources and new opportunities to our extraordinary teams worldwide,” wrote Kotick. “It will also enable us to deliver more fun, more joy, and more connection to more players than ever before.”
“…Your dedication is what makes it possible for us to continually push envelopes, break records, and delight players. Amid the uncertainty of the last 21 months, you’ve remained focused, as always, on serving our players and supporting each other,” he continued.
Now that the deal has been closed Xbox can work on bringing Activision Blizzard games over to its Game Pass. More information on that change is expected to come in the next few months, head over to Microsoft’s social media and website for updates.