Microsoft finally acquires Activision Blizzard and CoD in the games industry’s biggest deal

It's official; Microsoft has officially finalised the deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.

Following a number of legal hurdles, the publisher of Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, and more is now under Microsoft's umbrella alongside the likes of Bethesda which was acquired by the company behind Xbox in March 2021.

The final hurdle preventing the deal from going through was the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which originally blocked the deal due to concerns over the cloud gaming market. After revising the deal, the long-awaited acquisition has been given the green light.

Following the largest deal in gaming going through, Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer released a statement:

"For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honoured to have you as part of our community.

"Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here - and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn't where you play your favourite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play."

Shortly after the news, the Xbox Game Pass X account revealed it will now begin the process of adding Activision Blizzard King's titles onto the Game Pass platform.

Earlier in the week, Activision Blizzard King revealed Modern Warfare 3 and Diablo IV won't be making its way to Microsoft's subscription platform this year. Although this might be disappointing news for fans of those franchises, it means a wealth of titles are on their way.

After nearly two years of legal hurdles to leap over, Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard King marks a new chapter for both companies. It'll certainly be interesting to see the wider ramifications and if we'll eventually see Guitar Hero once again.