Microsoft has purchased Activision Blizzard for almost $70bn.
Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard
The tech giant - which is the team behind Windows computers as well as the X Box gaming console - acquired the 'Call of Duty' developers in a deal worth $68.7bn (£50.57bn).
In a statement, Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft said: "We're investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all.. The fantastic franchises across Activision Blizzard will also accelerate our plans for Cloud Gaming, allowing more people in more places around the world to participate in the Xbox community using phones, tablets, laptops and other devices you already own. Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward"
Fellow Microsoft senior Phil Spencer also made a statement, where he claimed that upon acquisition of the gaming developers, Microsoft will add as many Activision Blizzard titles as possible to their Game Pass susbscipriton library.
He said: "Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalogue. As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players."
It comes after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) sued Activision Blizzard for promoting a culture of “constant sexual harassment" and while Spencer did not go into any detail about how Microsoft may deal with these problems, he did claim that success goes along with "treating every person with dignity and respect.
He added: "We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard."
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