Teams from Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, and Treyarch are all now part of the Xbox household.
In a press release posted on Xbox Wire, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stated, “We love gaming. We play video games, create video games, and know first-hand how a lot gaming means to all of us as people and collectively, as a neighborhood. And in the present day, we formally welcome Activision Blizzard and their groups to Xbox. They are the publishers of a number of the most performed and most beloved franchises in gaming historical past throughout console, PC and cell. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Super Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for gamers all over the world.
“I’ve lengthy admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the influence they’ve had on gaming, leisure, and popular culture. Whether it was late nights spent taking part in the Diablo IV marketing campaign with pals from begin to end, gathering the complete household within the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero evening, or occurring an epic streak in Candy Crush, a few of my most memorable gaming moments got here from experiences their studios have created. It is unimaginable to welcome such legendary groups to Xbox.
As one workforce, we’ll study, innovate, and proceed to ship on our promise to convey the enjoyment and neighborhood of gaming to extra folks. We’ll do that in a tradition that strives to empower everybody to do their greatest work, the place all persons are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing dedication of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in every thing we do at Xbox – from our workforce to the merchandise we make and the tales we inform, to the best way our gamers work together and interact as a wider gaming neighborhood.
Together, we’ll create new worlds and tales, convey your favourite video games to extra locations so extra gamers can take part, and we’ll interact with and delight gamers in new, revolutionary methods within the locations they like to play together with cell, cloud streaming and extra.”
Spencer additionally famous that Microsoft “will even proceed to make extra video games accessible in additional locations – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming suppliers and gamers to stream Activision Blizzard video games within the European Economic Area, a dedication made to the European Commission.”
As for Xbox Game Pass, Spencer stated that Microsoft has began work in the present day to convey “beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and different platforms” and can share extra on what you possibly can count on to play “within the coming months.”
Microsoft first introduced its intent to buy Activision Blizzard again in January final yr, and ever since, Microsoft has been battling with competitors regulators the world over to get the deal over the road. After public spats with Sony, going forwards and backwards with the EU Commission, a high-profile courtroom case in opposition to the US Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft by chance leaking its future Xbox plans, and the UK’s CMA blocking and subsequent clearing of the deal, it is all lastly over.
