Xbox has completed its major acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard, obtaining control over some of the most popular franchises in the gaming world. This purchase makes Xbox the new owner of perennial chart-topper Call of Duty.

The acquisition was a hotly contested subject, with Xbox working hard to finalize the deal. Unlike some games from Bethesda such as Starfield, Call of Duty will not be exclusive to Xbox. To accomplish this, Microsoft inked 10-year agreements with rivals PlayStation, Nintendo, and multiple streaming platforms.

Activision Blizzard offers Xbox much more than just Call of Duty, bringing along an array of popular franchises including Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush Saga, Diablo, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, Spyro, and more.

A few other games not mentioned are also part of the acquisition, but it would be almost impossible to enumerate all since Activision began in 1979 and Blizzard in 1991. The franchises mentioned above are clearly some of the most significant included in the transaction.

The $68.7 billion deal was a cause for celebration for Microsoft, who marked the occasion with a moving trailer featuring all the series. The lengthy, complex process to finalize the acquisition provoked a lot of excitement and reactions from fans, developers, and analysts, and was noted as the biggest video game acquisition in history. The Communications Workers of America union also shares its pleasure at the deal's closing.

Still, many uncertainties remain, including future plans for Game Pass, Xbox console sales, and the fate of controversial Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.

To put it simply, Xbox has solidified its place in gaming history with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the juggernaut franchises that come with it. Now, the sphere eagerly waits for what develops next in this exciting chapter of the gaming world.