Activision
CompanyUnited States
Documents about Activision
Arknights Developer HyperGryph Sponsors China’s Only StarCraft II Tournament World Team League
Shanghai-based game developer HyperGryph, creator of the mobile title Arknights, has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the World Team League (WTL), China’s only remaining StarCraft II tournament.
- HyperGryph, the developer of Arknights, has become the chief sponsor of the World Team League (WTL), China’s only StarCraft II tournament.
- HyperGryph is contributing ￥46,6K ($68K USD) specifically toward the tournament's prize money.
- The total prize pool for the WTL this year is confirmed to exceed ￥2M ($291K USD).
World Series of Warzone Returns in 2023
Activision Blizzard has announced the 2023 return of the World Series of Warzone, a global competitive circuit for the Call of Duty: Warzone franchise.
- Activision Blizzard has announced the return of the World Series of Warzone with a total prize pool of $1.2 million USD.
- The competition features a global final in September, which includes a $500,000 prize pool for the main event and a $100,000 prize pool for a solo event.
- Regional finals for North America and Europe are scheduled for May 18 and May 17 respectively, each offering a $150,000 prize pool.
Training Data: Arresting Development for the Sake of Going Slow
This analysis explores the tension between rapid technological advancement and the growing societal impulse to decelerate, framed against significant shifts in the global gaming landscape.
- The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is executing a $38 billion strategy to establish the Middle East as a global gaming hub, having already deployed $20.3 billion in assets across companies like Nintendo, Activision, and Embracer Group.
- Savvy Games Group, backed by the Saudi government, acquired mobile publisher Scopely for $4.9 billion, signaling the scale of capital deployment in the sector.
- Despite geopolitical concerns, the value of the PIF’s public gaming holdings increased by 9.3 percent year-over-year as of early 2023.
Call of Duty League Will Be Broadcast on Both YouTube and Twitch
Activision Blizzard announced in April 2023 that the Call of Duty League would expand its broadcast distribution to include both YouTube and Twitch.
- As of April 7, 2023, the Call of Duty League (CDL) began broadcasting live on both YouTube and Twitch.
- This move reverses the league's December 2022 announcement that the 2023 season would be exclusive to Twitch.
- The CDL's previous three-year exclusive broadcasting rights deal with YouTube, valued at $160 million, officially expired in January 2023.
Overwatched Out: A Beta Test for Incoming Management
The Overwatch 2 beta release serves as a critical case study for the current state of Activision Blizzard, a publisher facing significant corporate and financial headwinds.
- Activision Blizzard faces significant financial pressure, evidenced by a 28% year-over-year decline in net bookings and ongoing legal challenges from the New York City Employees' Retirement System.
- The industry is undergoing rapid consolidation, highlighted by Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Embracer Group’s $300 million purchase of Square Enix’s Western studios, and Lego’s $1 billion investment in Epic Games.
- The first-person shooter genre is a critical driver of engagement, generating six billion viewing hours in 2021 and necessitating strategic alignment with live-streaming platforms.
Gaming Industry Report Q2 2023
The analysis presents a comprehensive snapshot of the global gaming industry in the second quarter of 2023, emphasizing the sector’s continued expansion and shifting investment dynamics.
- The global gaming market is projected to reach $201 billion in 2023, representing a 9% year-over-year increase.
- Venture capital funding for gaming contracted by 38% quarter-over-quarter to $1.23 billion in Q2 2023, with growth-stage investments falling by 60%.
- Public gaming firms hold approximately $45 billion in cash reserves, facilitating a strong environment for mergers and acquisitions.
What You Need to Know About Counter Strike 2
This analysis examines significant developments in the free-to-play (F2P) video game industry as of March 2023, focusing on major title transitions, industry event viability, and corporate strategic shifts.
- Valve is launching Counter-Strike 2 as a free update to CS:GO, built on the Source 2 engine with improved graphics, sub-tick rate updates, and full carry-over of existing player inventories.
- The first major tournament for Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled for March 17–31, 2024, with a $1.25 million prize pool.
- E3 has been officially canceled, signaling a potential permanent shift as major publishers increasingly favor independent, direct-to-consumer digital livestream events over traditional trade shows.
GDC Shakeups
The global gaming industry is currently undergoing a period of intense strategic realignment, characterized by shifting regulatory landscapes, the integration of emerging technologies, and a pivot toward creator-led ecosystems.
- Epic Games is pivoting Fortnite into a creator-driven metaverse by integrating the Unreal Editor and a revenue-sharing model to directly challenge Roblox's market dominance.
- Tencent is shifting its strategy from external M&A toward internal development of high-fidelity, cross-platform titles to mitigate geopolitical risks and increase its international market share.
- Regulatory scrutiny regarding major industry acquisitions, such as Microsoft’s bid for Activision Blizzard, is easing, suggesting a period of stabilization for market consolidation.
SVB Collapse / Applovin spawns Redemption
Microsoft is currently navigating a complex regulatory environment surrounding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, utilizing long-term cloud gaming partnerships with providers like Boosteroid and Ubitus to appease antitrust concerns.
- AppLovin is pivoting away from mobile game development toward its ad-tech software business following a 30% revenue decline in its games division caused by post-App Tracking Transparency (ATT) market disruptions.
- The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has forced tech and gaming startups to shift treasury management strategies, moving away from concentrated risk toward diversifying cash holdings across multiple institutions and short-term government treasuries.
- Major Western publishers are increasingly centralizing operations internally and reducing reliance on third-party Chinese co-development studios to improve margins and mitigate cross-border partnership complexities.
Esports Engine Co-Founder and President Adam Apicella Is Leaving the Company
Adam Apicella, co-founder and president of the esports production firm Esports Engine, has departed the company.
- Adam Apicella, co-founder and president of Esports Engine, has mutually agreed to depart the company.
- The exit follows the March 1, 2023, acquisition of Vindex—the parent company of Esports Engine—by the ESL FACEIT Group.
- ESL FACEIT Group is owned by Savvy Games Group, which is backed by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund.
Olympic Council of Asia Removes Hearthstone From Hangzhou Asian Games
The Olympic Council of Asia has officially removed the digital card game Hearthstone from the roster of esports titles for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
- The Olympic Council of Asia has removed Hearthstone from the Hangzhou Asian Games competition lineup.
- The removal is a direct consequence of the terminated partnership between Activision Blizzard and NetEase, which resulted in the shutdown of all Hearthstone servers in mainland China.
- With the removal of Hearthstone, the total number of official esports titles for the Hangzhou Asian Games has been reduced to seven.
Activision Blizzard CMO Exiting in April to Join NotCo
Fernando Machado, the Chief Marketing Officer of Activision Blizzard, announced his departure from the gaming company effective April 2023.
- Fernando Machado will step down as Chief Marketing Officer of Activision Blizzard in April 2023.
- Machado is moving to the plant-based food company NotCo to serve as its new Chief Marketing Officer.
- Machado served as the CMO of Activision Blizzard for a two-year tenure.
Its games in the library
Call of DutyInfinity Ward · 2003566
Halo: Combat EvolvedBungie · 200117- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 412
- Overwatch159
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Sledgehammer Games · 20117
Call of Duty: Black OpsTreyarch · 201050
Call of Duty: Black Ops IITreyarch · 20123
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Infinity Ward · 20099
Halo 3Bungie · 20074- Call of Duty: Black Ops 625
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 716
- Halo: Campaign Evolved4