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Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard logo
Video game holding company
Type Public
Traded as NASDAQ: ATVI
Industry Video games
Founded July 9, 2008
Headquarters Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Area served Worldwide
Key people Rob Kostich (president)[1]
Products Activision:
Call of Duty series
Blizzard Entertainment:
Diablo series
Hearthstone
Heroes of the Storm
Overwatch
StarCraft series
Warcraft series
King:
Candy Crush Saga
Divisions Activision
Blizzard Entertainment
Activision Blizzard Studios
Major League Gaming
King Digital Entertainment
Website activisionblizzard.com

Activision Blizzard (often abbreviated as ABK, K standing for King) is the holding company formed from the merger of Blizzard Entertainment's then-owner Vivendi Games and Activision, the video game producer behind Call of Duty. The merger was finalized on 9 July 2008.[2][3] Vivendi became the majority shareholder of Activision Blizzard[4] with 54% of the stock.[2]

Almost no changes occurred at Blizzard Entertainment, and it and Activision continue to exist as separate entities under the Activision Blizzard umbrella.[5] The holding company does not publish games under its central name and instead uses its subsidiaries to publish games, similar to how Vivendi Games operated before the merger.[6] Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. remains as Blizzard's brand.[7]

On 18 January 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.[8]

Split from Vivendi[]

On 25 July 2013, Activision Blizzard announced that it would purchase 429 million shares from Vivendi for $5.8 billion. This purchase was financed with $1.2 billion of cash that was on hand and $4.6 billion of debt proceeds, leaving them with a $1.4 billion of net debt at the end of the deal in September 2013. An investment group that includes Bobby Kotick and Brian Kelly (who put up $100 million together), as well as Tencent and other partners, purchased 172 million shares for $2.3 billion. This group owned 24.9% of the company, and Vivendi retained ownership of 83 million shares (12%) of the company.[9][10] By 15 January 2016, Vivendi had sold the remainder of its shares.[11]

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