Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse
- Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is expected to leave after close
- Call of Duty publisher faces lawsuits over discrimination
This article is for subscribers only.
Microsoft Corp. plans to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. for $68.7 billion, acquiring a legendary game publisher responsible for franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but recently roiled by claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination.
In its largest purchase ever, Microsoft will pay $95 a share in cash to add Activision’s stable of popular titles, helping the software giant expand its own offerings for the Xbox console and push it into the fast-growing markets for mobile gaming and the metaverse. The deal, which would make Microsoft the world’s No. 3 gaming company, also fits with Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella’s strategy of focusing on content, community and cloud software.