It feels like forever since Xbox first announced its plans to buy out Activision Blizzard, but it's actually only been one year since the deal finally closed in October 2023. Yep, after a long old fight with multiple regulatory bodies around the globe, Microsoft finally got the deal done a year ago. So... how do we feel about the move after the first 12 months?
It's been a bit of strange one from our perspective. We can certainly see the logic behind the deal, with Xbox bringing on lots of ongoing games and huge IP that can hopefully bring long-term revenue for Team Green. At the same time, it feels like consumers are yet to properly benefit from this deal, with a lighter Xbox Game Pass lineup recently and lots of focus on behind-the-scenes ActiBlizz stuff as the two companies integrate.
Of course, the big Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch is right around the corner - which does feel like one of those moments we've been wanting to see more of since the deal wrapped up. For this writer and some of his casual gaming pals it's a big deal - but we understand that not everyone will think one title was worth so much focus in recent months.