Microsoft finishes $70 billion Activision Blizzard King deal

It’s taken nearly two years, but Microsoft’s nearly $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King is complete, adding several properties to Xbox.

After a year of changes to the original deal in light of issues with regulators in the UK and US, the massive $68.7 billion deal that was first announced in 2022 has come to a close, officially adding several well-known properties in the gaming space to the Xbox portfolio.

The likes of Call of Duty, Overwatch and Crash Bandicoot are now a part of Microsoft following the closure of this acquisition 20 months after the process began.

“Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favourite 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,” reads the blog post from Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO.

“Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too.”

Overwatch now being under Microsoft’s banner is an interesting development following a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). They alleged that the company had maintained a ‘frat boy’ culture, engaged in discriminatory practices and encouraged sexual misconduct towards female employees.

In 2022, Activision Blizzard was an IP partner of the LEGO Group for the Overwatch theme, though this status is currently under review, with the February 1 release of Overwatch 2 set 76980 Titan postponed accordingly. The LEGO Group’s corresponding page on LEGO.com no longer lists Activision Blizzard as an IP partner at this time.

It’s worth noting that the blog post specifically reads, “As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people.

“We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome and is centred on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.”

These more recent comments follow a statement specifically regarding the situation at Activision Blizzard back in 2022 in a blog post announcing the deal initially. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed in an email to all Activision Blizzard employees that he will be staying in the role through the end of 2023. This might suggest an exit from the company in 2024, but the email is not specific regarding this.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by buying your LEGO sets using our affiliate links, and don’t forget to check out all the latest LEGO deals throughout Black Friday. Thank you!