Microsoft this morning announced plans to purchase gaming mega-publisher Activision Blizzard for a record-setting $68. 7 billion. The move, when finalized, would bring franchises like Call of Duty , Overwatch , Diablo , World of Warcraft , Starcraft , and many more under the umbrella of the Xbox maker.
Today’s announcement follows on Microsoft’s $7. 8 billion acquisition of Bethesda, announced just 15 months ago . After some initial confusion about what that meant for Bethesda’s multiplatform titles, it has since become clear that will most of Bethesda’s biggest franchises, such as Elder Scrolls , will not be appearing on competing consoles such because the PlayStation 5.
The same could definitely happen for Activision Blizzard’s big-name games. Ms notes in its announcement of which Activision Blizzard games would become a part of its Game Pass program, which currently enjoys 25 million subscribers. “With Activision Blizzard’s nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and three billion-dollar franchises, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry, ” the company said. “Upon close, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios, along with additional publishing plus esports production capabilities. ”
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