Every Major Franchise Xbox Now Owns

Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is the largest buyout in video game history. Here's every major franchise and studio Xbox now owns.

Microsoft has been spending a lot of money recently to bolster its first party studios. In 2020, Microsoft acquired ZeniMax/Bethesda for $7.5 billion, turning Xbox into the home of iconic franchises like Elder Scrolls (Skyrim), Fallout, and Doom. With this record breaking acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft now owns juggernaut franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Candy Crush.

Xbox has been building its catalog of first party studios with Double Fine (Psychonauts 2), Ninja Theory (Hellblade), and The Initiative (Perfect Dark) over the past few years. With Activision Blizzard under its belt, Microsoft now owns over 30 studios.

Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard at the height of a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing against the company for sexual harassment and discrimination directed toward women at the company, with much of the attention falling on the shoulders of Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick. 

Until the deal closes in 2023, Activision Blizzard will operate independently, but after, Bobby Kotick will leave the company, with Activision Blizzard reporting to Phil Spencer as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

[Crit-Chance]

I completely forgot Crash Bandicoot was owned by Activision. So after all these years, Microsoft is the one who bought Crash, and not Sony. That's the world we live in, and Crash is supposed to be the crazy one!

[DangerTeenager]

From 4 to 34 studios in about 5 years of time. Thats insane.

[Jeff_R]

Xbox took the “no having exclusive “ very personal.

[fartyfat]

Its actually interesting to see Obsidian and Bethesda under Microsoft together

[alexb]

I hope Microsoft does a master chief collection but for call of duty... imagine all campaigns together, random maps across all call of duty games, multiple progression systems based on each game and overall playtime... would be awesome

[darkdrfter]

The future of Xbox is monstrous. So many studios, so many games! 😱

[mr_barreraa]

If Microsoft decided to make their own smash bros that would be INSANE!
Just imagine Spyro, Tracer and doom slayer fighting in a candy crush inspired stage!

[lenardregencia]

It seems like Microsoft is collecting the
Infinity Stones and heading towards
the Infinity Ward.

[gnoclaude]

Xbox now owns the RPG (Obsidian, Bethedsa, Fable, inXile), FPS (Halo, Overwatch, Doom, Wolfenstein, COD), Strategy (StarCraft, Warcraft, AoE, Halo Wars, Gears Tactics), MMO (Wow and ESO), and arguably the racing market (Forza, Forza Horizon, Crash Nitro Carts). That's not even looking at the 20 other AAA games they have cooking. I'm personally excited for COD Zombies. Everything else from Activision not so much. But free Activision games on gamepass rocks! Condolences to my PS brethren. A moment of silence please.

[Penance]

I hope Microsoft brings back Prototype.

[KillahMate]

Lots of _potential_ in this lineup for sure. Many of these franchises are on a downward trajectory or already on ice, but they have the _potential_ to be amazing. But Microsoft has a lot of work ahead of them.

[emiliano-dowr]

we went from "Xbox has no games" to "Xbox is a monopoly". Amazing

[XgamerdaveX]

The buyout of Activision blizzard makes the buyout of zenimax seem like the biggest bargain in the history, present and future of bargains.

[NASCARFAN]

Microsoft going Disney mode in the Video Game Industry

[SSJ_EWGF]

If you would've told me that Halo, Call of Duty _and_ Doom were owned by the same company, I would've laughed you all the way to the local game store.

And yet, several years and games later, it is finally a reality. Who knows where the future heads to now.

[psitsnate]

While not likely, my dream would be to see Vicarious Visions resurrected as it’s own studio which works on its own projects.

[bigChrisWithAtinyPeice]

The Activision lawsuit definitely lowered the price for the acquisition

[DeTudoUmPouco]

Microsoft is doing another big step, but this does not come for free. For me, they are still tasting the happy moment of customers enjoying more games into the game pass. Although, at the same time, they are under pressure to release good games and show that these studios are still the same as we remember. These games don’t last forever, and new games are a must. There is a lot to prove, and I hope they correspond to the expectations.

[PabloHoney]

To me the good news is, the more Studios MS buys, the less is left for EA to destroy. The best news would be MS buys EA and save those poor franchises stuck in EA's purgatory.

[SSJ_EWGF]

Praying Microsoft bring backs CoD and other Blizzard IPs that aren't looking too good st the moment back to their prime. Hopefully they can lower Activisions trademark monetization and rushed products.