Xbox chief Phil Spencer has talked about how Microsoft wants to make sure all of Activision Blizzard’s studios feel safe following the announcement of the acquisition.
Spencer made the comment during an investor call today (January 18) after it was announced that Microsoft would be acquiring Activision Blizzard for £50billion ($68billion USD).
“We’re looking forward to working with the thousands of Activision Blizzard employees with the same approach of proactive inclusion and partnership that we extend to every member of the Microsoft family,” he stated.
“We believe firmly that the great teams at Activision Blizzard have their best work in front of them, and we’re looking forward to making sure they feel safe, supported and engaged in every aspect of their work going forward.”
“That includes respecting the creative vision and identity of individual game studios. We have fundamental values that we refuse to compromise on,” Spencer added.
According to the call, this deal will make Microsoft third to only Tencent and Sony in terms of revenue, with it expected to go through some time in 2023.
Spencer also added that the acquisition “is not about short term results. We have seen Activision Blizzard’s product roadmap and are incredibly enthusiastic about what the team is creating and the company’s pipeline over many years to come.”
“We have seen strong recent performance from our existing ZeniMax and Xbox Game Studios and are well positioned as the stewards of Activision Blizzard’s great franchises.”
Exactly what will happen to Activision Blizzard after the deal goes through remains to be seen, but Microsoft is looking to fold some, if not all, of its games into Game Pass.
Activision Blizzard is currently undergoing lawsuits over alleged sexual and workplace harassment alongside misconduct, you can learn about it all here.
In other news, Tilted Towers is back in Fortnite.
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