After 20 months of legal battles, Microsoft on Friday sealed the deal to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion.
This is an incredible move by which Microsoft increases its influence in the field of video games, now owning the popular titles of Activision Blizzard, such as "Call of Duty", "Diablo", "World of Warcraft" and "Candy Crush Saga ».
The takeover had gone through several waves, after the British Competition and Markets Authority had blocked Microsoft's offer. After 20 months of legal battles with the Federal Trade Commission in a US federal court and after restructuring the deal to satisfy the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK, it was given the final 'green light' for the 'deal of the century".
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the following post on X: “Today is a big day for gamers everywhere. Together with Activision Blizzard, we will deliver on our vision to help people connect and play great games wherever, whenever and however they want.”
With the tagline "It's a good day for gaming," Microsoft posted a video on its Xbox channel announcing the acquisition, showing famous heroes from the console brand alongside others from Activision Blizzard's game catalog.
For the record, this acquisition is the largest in Microsoft's history after far surpassing the $26 billion it paid to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 and the $7,5 billion it paid to acquire Bethesda in 2021.
