Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick To Step Down At Year End After Game Giant’s Sale To Microsoft

Bobby Kotick, the longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard, is stepping down Dec. 29 following the company’s drawn-out $69 billion sale to Microsoft that closed in October. The exec — who oversaw some of the industry’s most popular games from Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga — had said previously he would stay on through the end of 2023.

“I’d like to thank Bobby—for his invaluable contributions to this industry, his partnership in closing the Activision Blizzard acquisition and his collaboration following the close—and I wish him and his family the very best in his next chapter,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote in a memo Wednesday where he confirmed Kotick’s exit date, according to press reports.

“I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox,” Spencer had said in a blog post when the deal closed.

Microsoft’s biggest acquisition ever was announced in January of 2022 but faced tough regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.

Kotick first joined what was then just Activision in 1991. In his own email to employees today, he said, “I cannot adequately express the pride I have in the people who continue to contribute to our success and all those who have helped throughout my 32 years leading this company,” Kotick wrote in the release, which was posted to Activision Blizzard’s website. “We are now part of the world’s most admired company. That isn’t an accident.”

The executive has been named as one of many high-net worth individuals and companies who have kicked the tires at Paramount Global as majority owner Shari Redstone explores possible deals.