Is Microsoft buying Activision or just Blizzard?

I n January 2022, Microsoft announced it had plans to buy Activision Blizzard, one of the world's largest games publishers, for $68.7 billion. That's a figure significantly higher than the $7.5 billion it paid for Bethesda Gameworks two years earlier.

Is Microsoft really buying Activision?

Microsoft used every means at its disposal on Tuesday, Feb. 21, to push its acquisition of Activision Blizzard forward.

What happens if Microsoft buys Activision?

Activision Blizzard own the Call of Duty franchise, one of the biggest in gaming history. If Microsoft's acquisition deal closes, they will own the Call of Duty series, and be able to do whatever they want with it on their Xbox systems going forward. Microsoft could have bought other companies, but it already did.

Is the Microsoft Activision deal finalized?

The Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard is expected to be finalised by June 2023, according to CEO Bobby Kotick. Back in January 2022, Microsoft made huge waves within the video game industry by taking the first steps of acquiring Activision Blizzard for a mammoth deal worth $68.7 billion.

How long will Microsoft own Activision?

Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which is a leading developer and publisher of console, online, and mobile games is expected to be completed in June of 2023.

What Will Microsoft Do If It Can't Buy Activision?

How long will it take for Microsoft to buy Activision?

Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in January, with the goal of closing it by June 2023. The deal has come under pressure from Microsoft's competitors in gaming, such as Sony .

Can Microsoft be blocked from buying Activision?

The planned Microsoft Activision acquisition has been provisionally blocked by the UK's antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) …

Why does Microsoft want Activision?

Buying Activision will give Microsoft ownership of many of the world's biggest games: not just Call of Duty, but others, including mobile behemoths like Candy Crush. All of those will be part of Microsoft and can be used to boost the offering of the Xbox.

Will Activision shares convert to Microsoft?

Once ATVI is delisted from the Nasdaq (US100), it means that those who have shares in Activision Blizzard will no longer own stock in the surviving business, as it will be owned by Microsoft.

Did the Xbox Activision deal go through?

Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard inched closer in a big way on Friday. UK regulators announced a provisional finding that the acquisition wouldn't harm competition, despite previously suggesting the Xbox maker might need to spin-off the Call of Duty business to get the sale approved.

Why is Microsoft buying cod?

“Its vision for the transaction is simple: Xbox wants to grow its presence in mobile gaming, and three-quarters of Activision's gamers and more than a third of its revenues come from mobile offerings,” according to Microsoft.

What does Microsoft deal mean for Activision shareholders?

This means shareholders will no longer own stock in the surviving business, which would be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft. However, shareholders will have the option to convert shares and will be entitled to receive $95 in cash for every Activision Blizzard share they hold.

Why did Buffett buy Activision?

Billionaire Warren Buffett disclosed Saturday that Berkshire Hathaway now owns about 9.5% of Activision Blizzard, with the Oracle of Omaha seeking to profit on the gap between the embattled video-game company's stock price and Microsoft's bid to acquire it.

Is Activision a good stock to buy?

Out of 13 analysts, 10 (76.92%) are recommending ATVI as a Strong Buy, 3 (23.08%) are recommending ATVI as a Buy, 0 (0%) are recommending ATVI as a Hold, 0 (0%) are recommending ATVI as a Sell, and 0 (0%) are recommending ATVI as a Strong Sell.

Who is blocking the Microsoft Activision deal?

But things got really interesting in early December of last year, when the FTC sued to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard, with preliminary hearings set to begin this August.

Why can't Microsoft just buy Activision?

The European Commission has objected to Microsoft's buyout of Activision Blizzard, setting another roadblock in the purchase. Following a lawsuit by gamers over monopolizing the gaming market, Microsoft has hit another roadblock in its attempt to buy Activision Blizzard (ABK) for nearly $70 billion.

Who is suing Microsoft?

Microsoft Corp was hit on Tuesday in US court with a private consumer lawsuit claiming the technology company's $69 billion bid to purchase “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard Inc will unlawfully squelch competition in the video game industry.

Why is Activision not trading at $95?

Activision Blizzard (ATVI) stock is trading at around $80 per share, below the $95 bid by MSFT. This is an indication that investors are weighing in a possibility that the deal is blocked by global regulators.

What does Microsoft buying Activision mean for Playstation?

It also means the developers will now focus on the Xbox version of their games first, and rival consoles second – if at all – which almost guarantees the best experience will be on Microsoft machines. It's a savvy move and one that Microsoft will hope can sway more people to buy their console.

Who owns the most of Activision?

Its shares are owned by a large number of individual and institutional investors. The biggest individual investors are Warren Buffett's conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth management fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Who gets the money in the Activision deal?

Announcement. On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in an all-cash deal, or approximately $95 per share.

Who needs to approve the Microsoft Activision deal?

Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is likely to be approved by EU regulators, Reuters reports. The software giant struck licensing deals with Nintendo and Nvidia recently, and Reuters says these deals are likely to satisfy lawmakers in Europe to help Microsoft clear its $68.7 billion deal.

Why did Microsoft pay so much for Activision?

In short: it gets Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, plus Candy Crush on mobile. Activision has lots of other franchises and will no doubt create more as part of Microsoft, but these three are dominant today.