- Also Read | CMA rejects acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft announces appeal
By dint of seeing certain leaders pouring out on social networks and elsewhere in favor of the takeover by Microsoft as if the life of their company depended on it, one could imagine that Activision Blizzard encounters difficulties in meeting the capitalist needs of its shareholders. However, the results of the first quarter are still a reminder that if there is a publisher that does not need anyone to grow, it is this one. Revenue of $2.4 billion, operating profit of $800 million and net profit of $740 million. Figures that make you think of an annual report, when these are indeed the results recorded by Activision Blizzard in the first quarter of 2023 alone.
« In this 33rd year of existence, Activision Blizzard achieves exceptional performances. Each of our key intellectual properties continues to grow year over year, with Call of Duty once again being a key growth driver. Mobile games revenue saw double-digit growth, including another record quarter for King. Diablo IV pre-sales are excellent. And none of this would be possible without our people, who deliver excellence to our players every day. We remain confident that our agreement with Microsoft benefits competition, consumers and job creation in markets around the world, particularly in the UK. Today’s CMA report does not reflect these realities, and we will work vigorously with Microsoft to overturn it on appeal. “Comments Bobby Kotick, who will not let go of his golden parachute so easily.
It is a fact, the verdict of the CMA has logically stunned the spirits and forced those who already saw it to consider very seriously the scenario according to which Activision Blizzard will remain an independent publisher. ” What gives me confidence is that whether we stand alone or united with another company, we are one of the strongest companies in our industry, ready to continue growing and leveraging our incredible intellectual properties. already seems to console Bobby Kotick.
Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo: the group’s five largest franchises all performed better than the previous year. Activision Blizzard is particularly pleased with the progress made on mobile, with Diablo Immortal joining Candy Crush and Call of Duty Mobile, while we await news of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile due out this year. The second quarter also promises to be marked by a general increase in sales and revenues, if only thanks to the release of Diablo IV for which everything is looking good with positive feedback and strong pre-orders. To a lesser extent, Crash Team Rumble will also be a contributor with its release scheduled for June 20.
