Microsoft has completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and Call of Duty is now part of Xbox

“We love games. We play games, we make games, and we know first-hand how important games are to all of us as individuals and collectively as a community. Today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and its teams to Xbox,” says Xbox President Phil Spencer. “As a team, we will learn We innovate and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the fun and community of gaming to more people. We will do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and centered around our ongoing commitment to gaming for everyone.

This deal is Microsoft’s largest acquisition ever, far exceeding the $26 billion Microsoft paid to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 and the $7.5 billion it paid to acquire Bethesda in 2021. This is the largest payment Microsoft has ever made in Gaming field too. The company said When this massive deal was originally announced, it was now “the third largest gaming company by revenue, after Tencent and Sony.”

Microsoft is now planning to add several Activision Blizzard games to Xbox Game Pass. “Today we begin work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms,” says Spencer. “We’ll be sharing more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and so are we.”

Activision Blizzard made that clear earlier this week Modern Warfare 3 And Diablo IV It won’t be coming to Xbox Game Pass this year. Microsoft has not provided an update on Xbox Game Pass subscription numbers since announcing 25 million subscribers alongside the original Activision Blizzard deal announcement in January 2022.

Microsoft will now add more than nine game studios from the Blizzard side alone to Xbox Game Studios, along with game studios in more than 11 locations for the Gaming King side of the acquisition. Microsoft has also turned into a publishing powerhouse after the acquisition, with more than 8,500 Activision employees now joining Microsoft.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will remain in his role to help with the transition through the end of 2023. “I’ve said for a long time that I’m fully committed to helping with the transition,” Kotick says. In an email message to Activision Blizzard employees today. “Phil has asked me to remain as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do so until the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together to achieve the seamless integration of our teams and players.”