On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash.[1] Under the terms of the agreement, which would be expected to close by mid-2023 pending regulatory and shareholder approval, Microsoft would own Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King under the Xbox Game Studios brand. This gives Microsoft ownership of franchises such as Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush.