Microsoft will pay Activison Blizzard for $ 70 billion. One of the largest acquisitions in the history of the industry

Information about the plans to take over Blizzard, known for such hits as “Diablo”, “Call of Duty” or “World of Warcraft”, he published himself. The Windows maker explained that it would pay $ 95 per share in a cash transaction totaling $ 68.7 billion.

“Following the closing of the deal, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company in terms of revenues, behind Tencent and Sony.”

It was emphasized that the transaction is to be finalized in the tax year 2023.

A giant takes over a giant. Microsoft boldly enters the gaming market

If it happens, it will be the biggest takeover in Microsoft’s history. In 2016, the company acquired LinkedIn for about $ 26 billion, its largest transaction to date.

However, this time the Redmond giant wants to take over Activision Blizzard, which is a giant in the gaming industry. In 2021, he also bought | Microsoft the company ZeniMax, the owner of the Bethesda Software studio and brands such as Fallout, Doom and Elder Scrolls. After the approval of this transaction, Microsoft will become the real hegemon of the video game industry, which will certainly have an impact on this market.

In the announcement, Microsoft also explained that after the official closing of the transaction, Activision Blizzard will be under the tutelage of Phil Spencer, who will become president of Microsoft Gaming. Microsoft will also include Activision Blizzard games in the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass services. “Game Pass will become one of the most attractive and diversified game offers in the industry,” underlined.

Read more about the gaming world on the home page

Affair in Activision Blizzard. The company denied the allegations

Microsoft announces the takeover of the company, in which the scandal of discrimination, mobbing and harassment, which was supposed to take place at Activision Blizzard, recently broke out. On July 20, last year, a lawsuit was filed in a California court by the government’s anti-discrimination agency, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

A two-year investigation concluded that Activision employees were constantly exposed to sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. One of the women was about to commit suicide. The company’s management was not supposed to react to reports of harassment. Activision Blizzard was also supposed to involve mobbing and racist behavior.

The company issued a statement denying the accusations. One of the findings was that filing the lawsuit is “an irresponsible act by bureaucrats who are driving many great companies out of California.”

According to Activision Blizzard, the lawsuit does not take into account the changes that have occurred in previous years in the company.