Tag: Activision Blizzard
Feature Xbox Game Studios: All Microsoft First-Party Developers & What They're Working On
Including Bethesda & Activision Blizzard
At this stage, Microsoft has lots of in-house development studios making Xbox games, including all those teams across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. So, as we begin another year of Xbox, we thought we'd gather up every Microsoft first-party developer and what they're working on right...
News Activision Blizzard Aims To 'Meaningfully Elevate' BlizzCon When It Returns In 2026
"Something is coming...ready yourself"
Xbox studio Blizzard has announced that its BlizzCon event is taking another year off this year after skipping 2024 - and the convention's 2026 edition will "meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration", according to the team. Addressing followers in a fresh announcement post, the World of Warcraft maker says...
News Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Has Been Rated, And It's Coming To Xbox & Other Major Platforms
Singapore goes early
After a bunch of rumours, reports and official teases, it seems that Xbox & Activision are preparing to release a
News EA Missed Out On Buying Blizzard & Some Big Activision Franchises, Says Former CCO
"EA saw all those first and passed"
Activision Blizzard has some absolutely massive game series' under its belt these days such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but they weren't always guaranteed to be ABK franchises. Speaking in a new interview on the Grit podcast, former Electronic Arts CCO Bing Gordon claimed that EA passed on some huge...
News Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Is Reportedly On Its Way To Xbox Game Pass
NOT the 2022 version
Today, we're seeing fresh reports of another Call of Duty title heading to Xbox Game Pass, although we're not sure of the exact nature of this drop right now. First mentioned by XboxEra and then corroborated by
Talking Point It's Been Three Years Since Xbox Announced The Activision Blizzard Deal
Covering Xbox has been a whirlwind ever since
Well folks, over the weekend, we officially passed the three-year mark since Xbox first announced its intentions to purchase mega-publisher Activision Blizzard. Yep, January 18th, 2022 was when the news first sent shockwaves throughout the industry - the most expensive gaming acquisition ever. Of...
Rumour Microsoft Reportedly Chose Buying Studios Over 'Winding Down' Xbox In 2021
Update: The company provides some context
Xbox fans, buckle up. Today, a fresh report is circulating from outlet The Information that claims Microsoft thought about winding down its Xbox gaming business back in 2021. According to the report, which is unfortunately paywalled, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella "faced a choice" between buying studios to...
Soapbox I Can't Wait To See What Xbox Does With Activision This Year
And Blizzard for that matter
I think I'm still getting nightmares about that whole Activision Blizzard saga in 2023. Don't get me wrong, it was great for engagement here at Pure Xbox and was somewhat fun to discuss with everyone at the time, but it dragged on forever and undoubtedly caused controversy even within the Xbox fan community itself, which...
News Call Of Duty's Crazy Development Budgets Revealed In New Report
Xbox will be spending a pretty penny
As game development budgets continue to rise, it's perhaps no surprise that churning out a big AAA shooter every year is a pricey endeavour. For well over a decade, Activision's Call of Duty has been the biggest AAA shooter of them all - and a new report details some of the eyewatering budgets that have gone into...
News Two More Xbox Game Pass Additions Seemingly Leaked For January 2025
From a reliable insider
As we enter into the new year, we've got lots of Xbox Game Pass updates coming our way right now - and a new rumour from reliable insider eXtas1s suggests January's Game Pass lineup is about to get even better. According to the well-known leaker, Blizzard's first Diablo game is set to come to PC Game Pass this month,
News Xbox Is Reportedly Working On A 'Cross-Platform Interface' Called Project Rainway
Inspired by Blizzard's Battle.net
Following on from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's recent comments about the future of Xbox, outlet Windows Central has dug into the Xbox owner's plans - subsequently revealing a new cross-platform initiative apparently going on at the Redmond company. According to the site, in particular reporter Jez Corden,...
News Four More Call Of Duty Titles Seemingly Being Prepared For Xbox Game Pass
Four COD games crop up on PC
Last week, three classic Call of Duty games appeared on the Microsoft Store for PC; a sign that the company is likely preparing them for an Xbox Game Pass drop somewhere down the line. Well, you can add four more series entries to that list this week. Yep, Call of Duty: Ghosts,
News Black Ops 6's First Free Zombies DLC Comes To Xbox Game Pass Next Week
Welcome to Citadelle Des Morts
During the reveal of Black Ops 6 Season 01, developer Treyarch announced that a brand-new Zombies experience was coming to the game at some point this season - and that time is almost upon us. Revealed this week via a new cinematic trailer, new Black Ops 6 Zombies map 'Citadelle Des Morts' comes to Xbox Game Pass on...
News Xbox Game Pass Didn't Hurt Overall Black Ops 6 Sales, Says Analyst
But PlayStation dominated the split
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the first series entry to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass, and naturally, that led to questions about whether such a move would affect sales. While the title's Game Pass inclusion seems to have dented Xbox sales specifically, PC and PS5 have more than pulled their weight to make up...
News Despite The ActiBlizz Deal, Xbox Remains 'In The Market' For New Dev Teams
"We definitely want to be in the market"
Well all know the trials and tribulations that Xbox went though to acquire Activision Blizzard last year, but the whole ordeal doesn't seem to have put Microsoft off from potentially bringing more teams on board. In a new interview with
News PlayStation's Call Of Duty Timed Exclusivity Deal Is Now Officially Over
MW3 DLC packs can now come to Xbox
Microsoft may have acquired Call of Duty publisher Activision more than a year ago, but the Xbox owner vowed to uphold any existing deals that the franchise had with PlayStation owner Sony - and the last of those deals has now officially come to an end. Yep, as pointed out by CharlieIntel, last year's
Talking Point Where Are All The ActiBlizz Titles On Xbox Game Pass?
Isn't it about time?
With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 now out in the wild, Xbox's biggest Activision Blizzard release since the deal went through has now come and gone. The game ended up being a very good one, so we have no complaints in that regard - but we do still feel a little shortchanged by the Activision Blizzard deal so far. You see, we...
News Xbox's Call Of Duty Series Has Now Sold Over 500 Million Copies
Black Ops 6 got it over the line
During Microsoft's recent earnings call, the team touched on Black Ops 6 being the biggest launch in franchise history, and now some additional context from The Washington Post tells us that the
News Xbox Hardware Revenues Down Again Despite Content & Services Growth
Q1 2025 financials are in
Earlier today, we touched on more huge revenue growth for Xbox as a result of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but again, Microsoft's Xbox hardware division isn't doing quite so hot. Just like last quarter, the company's gaming hardware revenues are down year-on-year, this time 29% lower than the same period last...
News Microsoft's Xbox Gets Another Revenue Boost From Activision
But console hardware revenue declined
Microsoft has released its Q1 2025 financial results today and once again the company has received a significant boost from its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This includes increases to its gaming revenue and 'Xbox content and services' revenue. The tech giant reported gaming revenue growing by 43%...
News Microsoft Boasts About Owning '20 Franchises That Have Generated Over $1 Billion'
Including ActiBlizz and Bethesda games of course
Microsoft's Satya Nadella has certainly been in the headlines today and not always in the most positive light, but one section of the CEO's recent annual company update at least talks about some of Xbox's more positive achievements in recent tim
Guide Call Of Duty Black Ops 6: Release Date, Release Times & Xbox Game Pass Details
Everything you need to know for BO6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is one of Microsoft's biggest releases of the year, with the game's arrival fast approaching at the end of October. It's safe to say there's been quite a bit of hype behind this one - especially with its inclusion in Xbox Game Pass on day one. So, we're going to round up all of the...
News Xbox Settles Lawsuit With 'Gamers' Who Tried To Sue Over Activision Blizzard Deal
It had been ongoing for nearly two years
Right, where to begin with this one?! If you cast your mind all the way back to December of 2022, you may remember a story here at Pure Xbox about a group of random "gamers" who were suing Microsoft over the company's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Basically, the lawsuit claimed that the...
News Three Call Of Duty Titles Are Coming To Xbox Cloud Gaming, Including Black Ops 6
A first for the series!
Microsoft has today announced some of its plans for Call of Duty on Xbox Cloud Gaming. Beginning with the launch of Black Ops 6 later this month, the series will be making its Xbox Cloud Gaming debut across three separate titles. Those titles are the aforementioned Black Ops 6 (of course), alongside last year's
Talking Point How Do You Feel About Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal One Year On?
Yes, the deal closed a year ago!
It feels like forever since Xbox first announced its plans to buy out Activision Blizzard, but it's actually only been one year since the deal finally closed in October 2023. Yep, after a long old fight with multiple regulatory bodies around the globe, Microso
Reaction Xbox Focusing On 'Blockbuster Games' Should Be No Surprise After The Failure Of Concord
Risky business
Okay, so, everyone and their Twitter-surfing uncle has read about the Concord news this week; that being Sony deciding to close down its live service hero shooter after less than two weeks on the market. We can't say we're that surprised by this outcome, although like most folks out there, we did expect the PlayStation owner to give...
News Microsoft Had Two Transformers Games Rated In Australia Last Month
The rumour mill whirls away
Yesterday, we covered a new report about Microsoft working to bring a couple of Transformers games to market in 2024, and now we have further evidence that suggests this is actually happening. As shared by Klobrille on social media, Microsoft seemingly submitted two Transformers games to be rated in Australia last month...
Rumour Microsoft Reportedly Working On Multiple Transformers Projects
Both for a 2024 release?
A rumour has begun circulating that Microsoft is working on two Transformers projects, both for release sometime this year. The rumour originates from Transformers-focused website TFW2005, which states that it has "received some intel on two video game projects" from Microsoft relating to the Transformers series. Now, we...
News Phil Spencer Talks About Two Activision Games That Xbox Missed Out On Signing
"I've made some of the worst game choice decisions"
During PAX West 2024, Xbox boss Phil Spencer hosted a 'Story Time' chat about the gaming industry, discussing many different aspects of the business - including some of Xbox's history. In that chat, Phil was asked about some of the biggest games that Microsoft 'missed out' on signing up, and the...
News New Report Details Cancelled 'Crash Bandicoot 5', Including Planned Spyro Crossover
Activision went a different route in the end
A huge new report from game historian Liam Robertson has dropped over the weekend, detailing apparent plans for a 'Crash Bandicoot 5' - and why Activision decided to go in a different direction instead. According to the report up above, the game was being conceptualised following the release of Crash
News Microsoft's Mobile Gaming Store Is Being Tested Internally At Xbox
"Our work is progressing well"
We've been hearing about Microsoft building its own mobile gaming store for a while now, and a new statement from Xbox sheds some light on the situation and where we're at with it. Initially expected to launch last month, Microsoft has now confirmed that the store is still being tested internally before any sort of...
Report Xbox Has Formed A New Team To Build 'Games Based On Existing IP' At Blizzard
They'll apparently be "AA" experiences
A fresh report from Windows Central has landed today that sheds light on a brand-new team that's supposedly been formed at Blizzard Entertainment. According to Jez Corden's reporting, a new team has been built at the Diablo developer "to work on smaller 'AA' games based on existing IP". What that IP will turn...
News Microsoft CEO Reassures Investors That Xbox Is Focused On Console, PC And Mobile
A three-way approach
This week, Microsoft's most recent earnings call arrived - delivering news both good and bad for Xbox fans. ActiBlizz is still having a big impact on revenues, while Xbox hardware isn't doing so hot right now, basically. In spite of a slump in Xbox sales, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reiterated that the team is still focused...
News Activision Blizzard Continues To Drive Massive Uptick In Revenue For Xbox
Microsoft's latest financials are in
Microsoft has dropped its Q4 financial results for the company's last fiscal year, and the facts and figures make for some interesting reading. The good news is that both 'content and services' revenue and overall 'gaming' revenue are up by huge amounts over at Xbox - driven by the team's acquisition of...
News Activision Releases Statement About Cheaters Following MW3 Xbox Game Pass Launch
"We remain committed to combating cheaters"
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 finally came to Xbox Game Pass last week, and if you've spotted any nefarious player behaviour in your opening few days playing COD on the service, Activision is aware of increased reports about cheaters in MW3 and Warzone over the past weekend. According to the team, its...
News Report Claims Call Of Duty Has Sold AI Generated Content Through In-Game Store
The controversial technique has apparently been used
Tech outlet WIRED has put out a big report this week on AI in the video game industry - and that very report claims that Call of Duty has previously sold some AI generated content via the Modern Warfare 3 storefront. There's been no confirmation of this from the teams behind the series, but...
Rumour Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Is Joining Xbox Game Pass This Month
Coinciding with the Game Pass price hike
Last year's Call of Duty release, Modern Warfare 3, is seemingly coming to Xbox Game Pass later this month. As reported on by Insider Gaming, Microsoft was apparently planning to announce this alongside
News Three Activision Blizzard Titles Expected To Join Xbox Game Pass 'Very Soon'
Starting with a big addition in August
We've been waiting for news on more Activision Blizzard additions to Xbox Game Pass, and it seems like we won't have to wait too much longer! Today, well-known leaker eXtas1s has revealed three titles that are heading to XGP "very soon". The first is the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy,
Talking Point 10 Years On From 'Rise Of The Dark Spark', Should Activision Bring Back Transformers?
Xbox now has the power!
Since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard there's been lots of talk about what Xbox could effectively 'bring back' from the annals of ActiBlizz history, with Crash, Spyro and Guitar Hero amongst some of the most common suggestions. However, in the background there's always been a little bit of noise about Activision's take...
News Xbox Already Planning For 'Great Showcase' Next Year As Team 'Hits Stride' In 2024
"We are beginning to hit the rhythm we’ve always aspired for"
Xbox's 2024 showcase may have only wrapped up mere days ago, but thoughts are already wandering towards what could appear during next year's event. We've already heard rumours that Xbox could have shown off way more games this year, and now a comment from Matt Booty suggests that quite...
Feature Xbox's 2024 Showcase Was Great, But It Was Missing A Big ActiBlizz Announcement
Please Phil, we want some more
The Xbox Showcase was amazing this year. Seriously, the relaunch of Pure Xbox took place four years ago, and we can't remember a better summer showcase from Xbox since then. Gears, Fable, Perfect Dark, DOOM
Reaction Xbox's 2024 Showcase Felt Like A Throwback To The 360 Era, In The Best Way Possible
What an unbelievable show!
Xbox fans, we weren't dreaming last night, were we? Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase really did go that well, yeah? Because my word, that felt like the best summer showcase we've seen in years - not only for how slick the whole presentation was from top to bottom, but also for the calibre of reveals and the E3-of-old...
News Xbox: 'You Are Going To See More Of Our Games On More Platforms'
"We just see that as a benefit to the franchises we're building"
In case you missed it, during a chat about DOOM: The Dark Ages with IGN, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer snuck in a brief comment about more of Xbox's games going to "more platforms" in the future. Unsurprisingly, it's raised some eyebrows on social media and other corners of the...
News Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Listing Further Hints At Huge ActiBlizz Xbox Game Pass Drop
We are READY
Okay, so, at this point we're all pretty much expecting a massive Activision Blizzard Xbox Game Pass drop to happen in and around the Xbox Games Showcase this weekend, and another few hints at such an event have cropped up online today. First off, as part of Microsoft's new 'Next Week On Xbox' round
News Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Is Launching Day One On Xbox Game Pass
"We’re excited to confirm..."
Update: This has now been formally announced on the official Xbox website. Here's how it reads: "We’re excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 on day one with Game Pass." As revealed last week, we will have a special Xbox Games Showcase followed by Call of...
News Xbox's New 'Activision Blizzard Sale' Includes Lots Of Call Of Duty Discounts
And it runs until the Xbox Games Showcase
We've got a few more games to add to this week's Xbox deals, as a new Activision Blizzard sale has just kicked off on the Xbox Store featuring a bunch of titles from the Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot and Diablo franchises in particular. Som
Report Call Of Duty 2024 Will Launch Day One On Xbox Game Pass
According to the Wall Street Journal
A new report has just dropped that claims Activision's upcoming 2024 Call of Duty title will be included in Xbox Game Pass on day one. The Wall Street Journal is the source on this one, with the outlet claiming that the plan is "expected to be announced at the compan
News Crash, Spyro Dev Website Replaced With Mysterious Logo
What are they teasing?
Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Team Rumble developer Toys for Bob appears to be teasing some sort of announcement, as its website transitions to a simple static logo on the back of going independent earlier this year. For now, the team hasn't accompanied this website change with any sort of public teaser, so who knows what...
News Activision Is Opening A New Studio To Build 'Genre-Defining' Games At Microsoft
'Elsewhere Entertainment' is a-go
Microsoft's newly-acquired Activision team has today announced the opening of a brand-new development studio in Poland. The team, which is confirmed to not be working on Call of Duty, is setting out to build a "state-of-the-art and next-generation gaming experience" at 'Elsewhere Entertainment'. The studio also...
News Xbox Reiterates Every First Party Title Is Coming To Game Pass 'Day One'
A recent report suggested Call of Duty could be excluded
Following a recent report claiming Xbox was considering not including new Call of Duty releases on Game Pass, it seems Microsoft's gaming division remains committed to "day one" releases. Xbox president Sarah Bond has mentioned at the Bloomberg Technology Summit this week how "day one"...
