Summary
- The delay in bringing Activision Blizzard titles to Xbox Game Pass is due to the uncertainty that surrounded the acquisition, which was only confirmed in the week of completion.
- Fans hoping for surprise launches of Activision Blizzard games on Xbox Game Pass in the immediate future will be disappointed, as Microsoft has dismissed the possibility.
- The timeline for when Activision Blizzard titles will be added to Xbox Game Pass remains unclear, with a 2024 launch window mentioned but no further details provided. The size of Activision Blizzard's catalog suggests that the addition of its games to Xbox Game Pass may happen in stages.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer offered an explanation for why Activision Blizzard titles will take a while to reach Xbox Game Pass. Their arrival to the subscription service was set in stone on October 13, when Microsoft officially completed its Activision Blizzard acquisition.
The last time Microsoft closed such a high-profile gaming deal was back in early 2021, when the company acquired ZeniMax Media to the tune of $7.5 billion. The majority of Bethesda's titles and other ZeniMax properties hit Xbox Game Pass within days of that transaction being finalized.
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In contrast, Activision Blizzard will take months to bring its catalog to Xbox Game Pass, with the Call of Duty maker already saying as much on October 9. Spencer now clarified that this large gap between the acquisition's closure and the related Xbox Game Pass expansion comes down to the immense "uncertainty" that followed the deal all the way to the finish line. During the latest episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, the executive revealed that Microsoft wasn't positive it would be able to close the deal until the very week of its completion. As a result, the work on bringing Activision Blizzard's catalog to Xbox Game Pass only truly began in mid-October.
And though the Xbox chief already communicated as much while welcoming Activision Blizzard to Microsoft's growing studio family, some fans were still speculating that the deal's closure could yield at least some new Xbox Game Pass arrivals in the immediate future as a sort of celebratory additions commemorating the occasion. Spencer now outright dismissed the possibility of such surprise launches, stating that he would "be straight with people" if something like that was on the cards.
Asked about a realistic time frame for when the Activision Blizzard game library might finally reach Microsoft's subscription service, Spencer remained non-committal. Specifically, he pointed to Activision Blizzard's recent mention of a 2024 launch window as an "accurate" target, without elaborating on the matter. Given the sheer size of the company's catalog, it's possible that Xbox Game Pass will add Activision Blizzard's titles in stages. Although doing so would be a fairly unprecedented move, it's not like any other aspect of the $68.7 billion transaction was anything but extraordinary; from its overall value to the amount of regulatory pushback it generated, the deal was as historic of a gaming industry acquisition as they come.
The blockbuster buyout of Activision Blizzard expanded Microsoft's franchise portfolio with quite a few famous properties, including Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo, and Candy Crush Saga. Microsoft is now also the owner of some long-dormant properties such as Tony Hawk's and Guitar Hero, with Spencer previously hinting that the company is already eyeing a few series revivals enabled by the Activision Blizzard acquisition.