Tag Archives: activision

It has been a couple of weeks since the CMA first announced plans to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Since then, both Microsoft and Activision have made it clear that they plan to appeal, a process that should begin this week.  According to a report from The Telegraph, Microsoft …

When the first reports about Microsoft buying Activision-Blizzard came to light, many immediately thought about having Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass. However, it seems that was intended to happen a few years after the acquisition had been completed. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has significantly affected …

A small group of ‘gamers' have filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in the US in an effort to block the pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. After going through the most recent batch of filings, some interesting nuggets of info have been revealed, including plans for a massive (and expensive) mystery …

As previous reports claimed, Microsoft is launching an Xbox Series X Diablo IV bundle on the game's launch day. Besides the console and the game, players will also get some in-game items with this bundle, including a mount and an armour skin. If you want to play Diablo IV on …

Crash Team Rumble has been in the works for years but the game is finally nearing launch. The latest spin-off in the franchise goes in a very different direction, offering up MOBA gameplay in a competitive multiplayer setting.  Crash Team Rumble is officially launching on the 20th of June, Activision …

Both the European Commission and the UK's CMA have extended deadlines to reach a decision on Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Now, the EU is pushing the deadline further, moving from late April to late May.  While Microsoft initially planned to have this deal closed by mid 2023, that timeline …

The competition and market regulators are still evaluating Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While it seemed like things were trending towards the acquisition being blocked, sources this week have claimed that the EU is actually now planning to approve the deal. 

Microsoft sat down with the European Commission once again this week to further argue its case for the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In a press briefing after the meeting, Microsoft laid out its case, revealing Sony's dominant position in the European console market.  At the briefing, Microsoft President, Brad Smith, produced …

It is no secret that Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is on shaky ground, with regulators seemingly wholeheartedly buying into Sony's objections to the deal, while also having concerns about the future of the cloud gaming market. According to a report this week, Microsoft is now preparing its ‘last-ditch' …

Documents from the CMA's investigation into the Microsoft-Activision merger have been made public for a while and plenty have found interesting details within them. Most recently, a line in one of the documents shows Microsoft confirming that titles on Game Pass do lose a non-disclosed percentage of sales while on …

Activision Blizzard found itself in a pit of controversy two years ago, with anger against leadership and CEO, Bobby Kotick, leading to lawsuits and employee walkouts. Many who support Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard are hoping to see new leadership at the publisher, but if the acquisition fails, it looks …

As anticipated, the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it believes Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard would harm the UK market. The CMA confirmed its concerns in documents released today, but it has also sent a list of potential remedies to Microsoft.  The CMA has concluded …

Activision will be doing something a little different with Call of Duty this year. While the company has confirmed plans for a ‘premium release' in 2023, sources have claimed that this will be an expansion for Modern Warfare 2, giving the game an extra year of life before Treyarch releases …

Phil Spencer is not one to shy away from the limelight, being one of the more vocal executives in the industry, partaking in interviews while being relatively candid at the same time. As part of a new interview, the head of Xbox discussed all manner of topics, ranging from the company’s recent string of layoffs to the struggling Activision-Blizzard acquisition.

Toys For Bob has made a name for itself over the years thanks to its excellent work on a number of classic mascot IPs including developing Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. Though Toys For Bob were absorbed into the Call of Duty machine, it …

The last week has been a rollercoaster for the gaming industry, as Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard has continued to make headlines. A few weeks ago it was reported that the FTC would sue to block the deal, but then a subsequent report claimed that the panel scrutinising the …

Recently, it was reported that the FTC is considering filing a lawsuit to block Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In the days that followed, Microsoft reportedly offered Sony a ten-year deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and is planning to make formal concessions in order to get …

Recently Microsoft made it known that it would be willing to offer Sony a substantial guarantee for future Call of Duty support as part of its on-going effort to push the Activision Blizzard acquisition through. Now, according to sources familiar with the situation, Microsoft is preparing to make several concessions …

Politico previously reported that the EU would enter a phase 2 investigation into the Xbox Activision-Blizzard merger. Now, the site is reporting that the FTC is planning on filing a lawsuit against Microsoft to block the merger.  The FTC has been stricter on anti-trust cases recently. The commission previously filed …

Last month, sources claimed that Infinity Ward is planning a massive expansion for Modern Warfare II sometime after launch. We heard this would include many classic Call of Duty maps for multiplayer and new campaign content. According to an updated report, the new campaign content will be developed by Sledgehammer …

Blizzard made the controversial choice last month to depreciate the original Overwatch, completely replacing it with the free-to-play Overwatch 2. While opinions on the game itself remain mixed, Overwatch 2 has had an impressive first month commercially, with more than 35 million players flocking to the game. As part of …

Here in the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has entered a Phase 2 investigation of Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Soon, the deal will undergo more scrutiny, this time from the EU, which also plans to enter a phase 2 investigation.  Similarly to the CMA, one of the EU's …

Over the past few days, we have seen a number of sales figures released for Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, with the game breaking concurrent user records on Steam as well as being the fastest-selling Call of Duty on the PlayStation Store. Now, Activision themselves have revealed that Call …

After a successful beta, Infinity Ward has been working on further improving the now available multiplayer mode for Call of Duty Modern Warfare II. The developer has considered the community's feedback, leading to changes in various game systems, including UI, matchmaking, sound, and gameplay.   The patch brings many improvements over …

If Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal does go through in 2023, many of us were expecting to see Call of Duty heading straight to Xbox Game Pass. However, it may take a little longer for the flagship franchise to hit Microsoft's gaming subscription service.  Microsoft is facing an unexpected level of …

We've seen a number of companies comment on Microsoft's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard in recent months. The loudest voice in the room has been Sony, but we've also seen quotes from companies like Ubisoft, WB, Riot and others. Recently in an interview, Take-Two CEO, Stauss Zelnick, added his take …

Each year, ahead of the game’s proper release, Activision hosts a beta period for that year’s Call of Duty, giving fans early insight into the maps, guns, mechanics and more coming with the upcoming FPS. The beta period for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has ended, with the publisher …

In recent weeks, PlayStation head, Jim Ryan, has made several statements in an effort to sway regulators against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, claiming the deal would have “major negative implications” for the entire games industry. Now, Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, is getting involved with one simple message – “if …

The past few weeks has seen Microsoft’s desired acquisition of Activision Blizzard come into scrutiny, with Call of Duty being placed at the centre of it. In the wake of this, EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson has commented on the matter, claiming that Battlefield will take this opportunity to try and …

The past few weeks has seen the heat turned up when it comes to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and whether the move is in fact anti-competitive. Amidst all this, head of Xbox Phil Spencer has remained resolute, stating that the console manufacturer will continue to acquire more studios. In …