On October 13, 2023, Microsoft announced the completion of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, marking the largest takeover in the gaming industry.

As a result of the $68.7 billion transaction, Microsoft now owns various game franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater among others, including the mobile gaming hit developer King and studios like Infinity Ward, Toys for Bob, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, and Raven Software.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer promised to bring more games to more places through cloud streaming services and players' ability to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area. While the timeframe is unclear, the company said it was starting the process of bringing Activision Blizzard games to its Game Pass service today, planning to provide more details in the coming months.

Despite some initial challenges, most notably from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, Microsoft managed to satisfy all regulatory bodies. After a court case victory in the U.S., Microsoft negotiated with the U.K. authority by allowing Ubisoft the rights to release Activision Blizzard games on cloud services, which led to the authority approving the merger.

Phil Spencer ended the announcement by noting that regardless of the platform - Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, or mobile - all gamers are welcome and part of the Microsoft community. According to Spencer, "When everyone plays, we all win."