Each milestone carried its own story. Here is a closer look at the developments that defined Activision Blizzard's year.
The defining moment of Activision Blizzard's 2023 was the close of Microsoft's acquisition on October 13, 2023. Activision Blizzard, along with its studios Blizzard Entertainment and King, became part of Microsoft Gaming in a deal valued at approximately $69 billion. The acquisition had been announced in January 2022 and faced extensive regulatory review before clearing authorities in the US, UK, and EU. The combined organization positioned Microsoft as one of the largest gaming publishers in the world by revenue, with franchises spanning Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush, and more.
Activision Publishing shipped several notable titles in 2023. Crash Team Rumble, developed by Toys for Bob, brought Crash Bandicoot characters into a 4v4 competitive online format and launched in June. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 expanded its reach with a Steam release in October, ending its PC exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. The year's flagship release was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which debuted in November and set records for engagement within the franchise.
The Activision label packed 2023 with content; the Blizzard side of the house added its own headline moments.
Blizzard Entertainment had a landmark 2023. Diablo IV launched in June and reached $666 million in sell-through within five days, making it the fastest-selling Blizzard title ever and one of the biggest launches in the company's history. The game logged billions of monsters killed in its opening weeks. Players looking to get a head start on endgame content could explore WowCarry's Diablo IV carry services.
Blizzard also launched Warcraft Rumble in November 2023, a mobile action strategy game set in the Warcraft universe and one of the year's strongest mobile strategy debuts. World of Warcraft continued growing through Dragonflight, and players who wanted help with Dragonflight raids and dungeons could find WowCarry's WoW carry options across all content types.
Beyond Blizzard, other studios under the Microsoft Gaming umbrella contributed their own achievements to 2023.
King, the studio behind Candy Crush and Farm Heroes Saga, reached two major milestones simultaneously in September 2023: surpassing $20 billion in lifetime revenue and publishing the game's 15,000th level. The studio also struck partnerships with the Jonas Brothers, the World Surf League, Barbie, and fashion designer Christian Cowan to bring branded content to its player base.
The Call of Duty Endowment, founded in 2009, reached a cumulative milestone in 2023: 125,000 military veterans placed in high-quality jobs across its 14-year history. Activision Blizzard also ran charitable campaigns including the Loot for Good in-game charity event and the C.O.D.E. Bowl, which raised funds through esports competition. The Overwatch World Cup generated donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Call of Duty League viewership set records during the year.
Activision Blizzard's 2023 ESG report highlighted progress on workforce diversity: women in game development leadership roles had quadrupled since 2016, and the total share of women and non-binary employees grew year-over-year. The company expanded global employee network groups, including the Multicultural Employee Network, and reported 240 births among team members with expanded support for surrogacy, adoption, and fertility treatments.
Across 2023, Activision Blizzard's titles earned nominations at The Game Awards and BAFTA. The company won the Clio Entertainment Award for Game Publisher of the Year and was recognized as one of America's Greenest Companies by Newsweek. As You Sow's annual ESG report placed Activision Blizzard above peer companies in the communications services category for environmental and social commitments.
The acquisition closed on October 13, 2023, for approximately $69 billion. The deal had been announced in January 2022 and required regulatory approval from authorities in the US, UK, and EU before closing.
Diablo IV reached $666 million in sell-through within its first five days of release, making it the fastest-selling Blizzard game in the company's history.
BlizzCon 2023 announced the Worldsoul Saga — three consecutive World of Warcraft expansions named The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan. Warcraft Rumble also launched globally during the event window.
The Worldsoul Saga is a three-expansion arc for World of Warcraft announced at BlizzCon 2023, designed to tell a single interconnected story across The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan. It represents the longest pre-announced expansion roadmap in WoW's history.
Warcraft Rumble is a mobile action strategy game set in the Warcraft universe, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and launched globally on November 3, 2023. It features collectible Warcraft characters and real-time map control gameplay.
The Call of Duty Endowment, which works to place military veterans in civilian employment, reached 125,000 total placements across its 14-year history since founding in 2009.
King announced in September 2023 that Candy Crush Saga had surpassed $20 billion in lifetime revenue and published its 15,000th level, with partnerships with major brands and artists adding seasonal content throughout the year.
Last reviewed 2026-06-18 against Activision Blizzard 2023 year-end recap — Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.
