Activision Blizzard Acquires King Digital
Activision Blizzard, Inc., announced that it has acquired King Digital Entertainment for $5.9 billion ($18 in cash per share). Activision Blizzard says that the addition of King’s highly-complementary business will position Activision Blizzard as a global leader in interactive entertainment across mobile, console, and PC platforms, and positions the company for future growth. The combined company will have an entertainment portfolio of top-performing franchises, including two of the top-five highest-grossing mobile games in the U.S. (Candy Crush Saga, Candy Crush Soda Saga), Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft, as well as such well known franchises as Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo and Activision Publishing’s Guitar Hero, Skylanders, and Destiny, along with over 1,000 game titles in its library.
“The combined revenues and profits solidify our position as the largest, most profitable standalone company in interactive entertainment,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in a statement. “With a combined global network of more than half a billion monthly active users, our potential to reach audiences around the world on the device of their choosing enables us to deliver great games to even bigger audiences than ever before,” he said. “Activision Blizzard will provide King with experience, support, and investment to continue to build on their tremendous legacy and reach new potential. We share an unwavering commitment to attracting and developing the best talent in the business, and we are excited about what we will be able to accomplish together.”