Activision
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Documents about Activision
Communications Workers of America File Complaint With National Labor Relations Board on Behalf of Raven Software Workers
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Raven Software, a Wisconsin-based studio owned by Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard.
- The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft, regarding the alleged illegal disciplining of a union member at Raven Software.
- The CWA alleges that management violated the National Labor Relations Act by prohibiting a union member from discussing a disciplinary investigation with colleagues or the union, creating a chilling effect on protected labor activities.
- This filing follows a broader August 2024 complaint in which Raven Software union members accused Activision Blizzard and Microsoft of bad-faith bargaining and retaliatory practices, including the discriminatory treatment of employees regarding pay, promotions, and work-from-home policies.
Gaming Is Literally Everywhere These Days, but the Industry Is Still Troubled
The gaming industry currently occupies a pervasive position in global culture, yet it remains characterized by significant internal instability and labor-related friction.
- Despite the commercial success of titles like Marvel Rivals, which has reached over 20 million players, the industry is experiencing widespread corporate restructuring and unexpected layoffs.
- Labor relations remain highly contentious, evidenced by ongoing protests at major publishers like Activision regarding the termination of union-affiliated employees.
- Gaming intellectual property has successfully expanded into mainstream sectors, including high-fashion collaborations, luxury beauty partnerships, and professional sports integration.
What Those Studio Closures Mean for Xbox's Future
The recent closure of several Bethesda-affiliated studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, signals a significant shift in Microsoft’s long-term strategy for the Xbox ecosystem.
- Microsoft is pivoting Xbox strategy away from prestige single-player titles toward 'retention-first' games, following a 30% drop in hardware sales and flat non-Activision content revenue in Q3.
- The aggressive acquisition strategy of the late 2010s has stalled as Game Pass reaches saturation, leading Microsoft to prioritize massive, multi-platform franchises over owning numerous development houses.
- Steam developer payouts typically average 58% of gross sales after accounting for refunds, chargebacks, and taxes, significantly lower than the nominal 70% revenue share.
Spider-Man 2, Space Engineers 2, Hello Kitty Impress on Steam
The current landscape of the video game industry is characterized by a shift toward profitability-focused strategies, platform diversification, and a highly varied Steam marketplace.
- Physical software sales have collapsed, dropping over 50% since 2021 and remaining 85% below their 2008 peak.
- Xbox is pivoting toward maximizing profitability from existing services following a 29% decline in hardware sales and a 7% decrease in overall division performance.
- Steam remains a critical discovery platform with a median launch-month conversion rate of 0.15x from wishlists to sales, representing a 34% increase over first-week sales.
Xbox’s Record Results for Game Pass and Call of Duty Offset by Continued Decline in Hardware Revenue
Microsoft’s fiscal second quarter of 2025 highlights a divergent performance within its gaming division, characterized by robust growth in digital services and software content contrasted against a significant downturn in hardware sales.
- Microsoft's total gaming revenue fell 7% year-over-year to $6.58 billion for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.
- Hardware revenue experienced a significant 29% year-over-year decline, serving as the primary driver for the division's overall revenue drop.
- Content and services revenue grew 2% year-over-year, bolstered by record-setting performance in Xbox Game Pass and strong results from Activision Blizzard content.
Annual Gaming Deals Report: 2024
The 2024 annual gaming deals analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the global video game industry’s investment and transaction landscape.
- The gaming industry saw 665 closed deals in 2024, a 14% increase over 2023, though total deal value dropped 72.5% to $23.2 billion due to the absence of a transaction comparable to Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- When excluding the Microsoft-Activision deal, the total value of industry transactions actually increased by 46.8% year-over-year.
- M&A activity shifted toward strategic, long-term objectives, with 147 M&A deals closed in 2024, representing an 18.5% increase compared to the previous year.
How Songs of Conquest Chose the Right Inspiration and Sold 500k
The analysis examines the commercial success of the PC title Songs of Conquest, which achieved 500,000 units sold by May 2024.
- Songs of Conquest reached 500,000 units sold by May 2024 by successfully targeting the underserved turn-based strategy niche popularized by the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
- The game’s five-year development and Early Access cycle relied on a consistent cadence of updates and frequent communication with the player base to maintain audience engagement.
- Strategic market positioning as a high-quality spiritual successor proved effective, though the report notes that such success depends heavily on whether the target demographic remains active on the platform.
Overwatch 2 and EA FC 25 Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and Electronic Arts’ EA FC 25 will be featured titles in the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and EA’s EA FC 25 have been confirmed as official titles for the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled to begin in July 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Call of Duty League has committed to a three-year deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation and is adjusting its competitive calendar to accommodate the summer event.
- The Esports World Cup is an eight-week, multi-title competition operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi government-owned Savvy Games Group.
Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024
The Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024 provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the global gaming labor market.
- 15% of surveyed industry professionals were laid off and successfully found new employment between 2023 and 2024, while 5% remain in the job search process.
- The most frequently impacted roles during recent industry layoffs were HR and recruiters, QA testers, and artists.
- 10% of respondents exited the games industry entirely over the past year to pursue careers in other sectors.
Comscore EU & UK Rankings: Overwolf
Overwolf has solidified its standing as a significant entity within the global gaming media ecosystem, as evidenced by its performance in Comscore’s October 2024 rankings.
- Overwolf achieved top 10 status in Comscore’s October 2024 European Gaming Properties rankings, placing #2 in Norway, #3 in Germany, #5 in France, and #7 in the UK.
- The company reaches over 100 million monthly active gamers across hundreds of titles and premium gaming websites.
- Overwolf’s European market presence is supported by a new UK office opened in 2024 and partnerships with major agency groups including Dentsu, WPP, and Havas.
Call of Duty League Signs Three-Year Deal With Esports World Cup Foundation
The Call of Duty League has entered into a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to integrate competitive Call of Duty and Warzone into the foundation’s annual eight-week summer tournament series.
- The Call of Duty League (CDL) has signed a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to feature the league in the annual eight-week summer competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- As part of the agreement, the CDL will extend its competitive calendar into August starting in 2025 to accommodate the tournament schedule.
- The partnership includes both the professional Call of Duty League and the Warzone title.
Video Games Year in Review: Part 1, 2024
The first half of 2024 was defined by significant instability within the global video games industry, characterized primarily by widespread workforce reductions and corporate restructuring.
- The video game industry experienced significant workforce contraction in the first half of 2024, with layoffs exceeding the 10,000-person threshold seen in 2023 following major cuts at companies like Activision Blizzard, Unity, Riot, Twitch, Sony, and Electronic Arts.
- Strategic corporate restructuring and consolidation continued, highlighted by Embracer Group splitting into three separate business units and IGN acquiring the Gamer Network portfolio.
- Regulatory environments shifted globally, with European authorities enforcing the Digital Markets Act to open app store competition and Chinese regulators withdrawing proposed spending caps that had previously impacted giants like Tencent and NetEase.
