In an another monumental move by Microsoft, the company has acquired Activision Blizzard and its subsidiaries, which include Treyarch and Raven Software of Call of Duty fame, amid ongoing sexual harassment and toxic workplace controversies.
Announced in a tweet by Xbox’s Phil Spencer (now CEO, Microsoft Gaming), the gaming giant plans to announce more information in the future and promises to “offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog [upon closure of the deal].”
You can read Microsoft’s full press release here.
Activision Blizzard joins Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls) as the latest publisher to be purchased by the gaming giant.
As we extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone, we are incredibly excited to welcome the fantastic teams and iconic franchises of Activision Blizzard to Team Xbox https://t.co/DVrgYS8ssB
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 18, 2022
While this is a big day for the gaming industry as a whole, it is not to be overshadowed by the ongoing controversy of workplace toxicity and sexual harassment that has been plaguing Activision Blizzard for the last year. The Wall Street Journal article here provides more information on the controversy.
So, what does this mean for Playstation or Nintendo? There have been rumors already for awhile about Sony working on a competitor to Game Pass. Maybe now is the time for them to step up to the plate. As for Nintendo, they have a history and the luxury of effectively operating outside of the general “mainstream” competition of Playstation and Xbox. However, this announcement could be incentive for the publisher to push a new hardware and hopefully update their online presence. Regardless, this is a big day in gaming, and hopefully the dawn of a new era for the hardworking employees of Activision Blizzard.
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