Phil Spencer welcomed Blizzard to Microsoft at BlizzCon’s opening ceremony

This year's BlizzCon was a little different, taking place just weeks after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King. While we didn't get any major Xbox-related announcements, Phil Spencer did make an appearance during the show's opening ceremony.

Speaking during the BlizzCon Opening Ceremony, Microsoft Gaming lead, Phil Spencer, took to the stage to welcome Blizzard to the Microsoft family: “Blizzard occupies a special place in the gaming industry and for me… Throughout Blizzard’s history they’ve pioneered and refined so much across the gaming industry, and many of you here today have been a part of that journey”, Spencer said, before giving shoutouts to Blizzard's most well-known franchises, including World of Warcraft, Diablo and yes, even Starcraft.

Spencer closed out his speech with a welcomed message for Blizzard fans and employees, saying: “Our commitment at Xbox is to bring more great games to more players, in more places. And now that Blizzard is part of Xbox, we will nurture the essence of what has made Blizzard unique. We’re going to empower our new colleagues in a culture of trust, inclusion, and collaboration, to continue what they do best: redefining existing genres, creating new, never before seen experiences, and uniting players globally in new ways”

Spencer has previously confirmed that there aren't any immediate plans to integrate Activision Blizzard games with services like Game Pass and the company has not yet discussed bringing PC-exclusives over to console or vice-versa. However, we can expect more news on that front in early 2024.

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KitGuru Says: Under Activision's rule, Blizzard was seeing a decline but hopefully fresh ownership and a boost to morale can get things back on track in the years ahead. We're already off to a good start with Diablo 4 improving greatly since launch, and a new trilogy of World of Warcraft expansions on the way.

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