For the first time in a decade, I feel optimistic for the future of Blizzard

Blizzard Logo Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Over the course of the past few years, being a Blizzard fan has been increasingly harder. I wrote an article all the way back in 2022 titled "Is Activision devouring Blizzard?" noticing an uptick in corner-cutting, rushed deadlines, and other annoyances that seemed more than reminiscent of the notorious annualized Call of Duty dev cycle, rather than the quality Blizzard was previously known for. "Soon™" was a Blizzard meme, in reference and reverie to the fact they took their time to release games finished and polished, or at least as close to it as possible. Alas, over the years, that image has been gradually whittled abroad for diverse reasons, with similarly varied severity.

Last week, Microsoft announced its megablockbuster $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, giving them control of everything from Call of Duty to Candy Crush. The news was met with mixed feelings across the spectrum, with some decrying industry consolidation, and others concerned over the fate of historically multiplatform franchises. In the Blizzard fan camp, the conquering has been met with cautious optimism from what I tin can see, particularly then among the PC-first franchises similar World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and even Heroes of the Tempest.

I count myself amidst those cautiously optimistic fans of Blizzard PC games, and hope that this whole deal turns a page in what has proven to be a scrap of a dark era for what is one of the virtually beloved and celebrated publishers in the industry's history. Microsoft has a lot to prove, even as it turns a page on its own murky relationship with PC gaming. Still, hither's why I think there's plenty of room for optimism for better days ahead, both for fans of Blizzard games, and more importantly, Blizzard developers and staff.

Doubling downward on Windows PC

Xbox Game Pass Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central

Microsoft'due south namecheck of StarCraft in its initial announcement was absolutely no mistake. Microsoft gaming CEO and Xbox atomic number 82 Phil Spencer stated in multiple interviews in the past calendar week that he intends to wait at dormant Activision franchises, even going as far to mention things like Guitar Hero.

Much of the discourse revolving around this acquisition focuses on Xbox versus PlayStation, and whether Call of Duty will become exclusive — and sure, that is part of the whole puzzle — but information technology's my firm belief that Microsoft did this primarily to grow its footprint on Windows, a platform it ironically owns, simply has effectively lost control of when it comes to gaming.

Windows is an open platform, meaning third-political party companies like Valve with its Steam store or Tencent with its mammoth franchises like League of Legends, can build and maintain businesses on Windows without Microsoft seeing a unmarried penny. And that's as information technology should be, bluntly, given that Windows itself is effectively an Bone monopoly. But since Phil Spencer came on board, they spoke of using Xbox to drive positive sentiment across the entire Microsoft ecosystem, in much the same style Apple did so with iTunes and music. Xbox'south presence on PC is growing and gaining traction, but primarily so on Steam, which of grade, Valve takes a big cut of.

Microsoft has its own PC gaming store, which isn't particularly groovy, depending on the endpoint you're using. What is pretty great, however, is PC Game Pass, and the value it represents. The app for PC Game Pass may be terrible (that's a topic for some other time), merely if the value is there, people may put up with a terrible launcher to access Microsoft's ecosystem.

Xbox Activision Blizzard Source: Microsoft

This conquering gives Microsoft control of Battle.net, which, love information technology or hate it, is at least a competent launcher, unlike the lumbering and irksome Frankenstein Xbox app, which uses Skype as its messaging back end, and the hated Windows Store for its app bundle delivery. With Battle.cyberspace, Microsoft has an opportunity to build a better relationship with PC gamers, and games will naturally exist a huge part of that investment.

Growing Game Pass, however, means tackling and catering for every PC gaming niche imaginable.

PC Game Pass brings value, Battle.net brings a stable PC social ecosystem, and Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Xbox Game Studios bring the games. Growing Game Pass, even so, ways tackling and catering for every PC gaming niche imaginable. As a platform curator, Microsoft's goals will be wholly different from Activision's leadership, which only really sought to chase prevailing trends to gratify shareholders. This was naturally to the detriment of games similar StarCraft, which reside in a genre that isn't as mainstream as information technology peradventure once was. Microsoft has shown that it is interested in the genre, though, reviving Historic period of Empires from a years-long sleep.

Indeed, the focus might be on how this deal affects Xbox and PlayStation, but a huge role of this for Microsoft is fending off Tencent, a company nigh gamers aren't even enlightened of. Tencent is the biggest gaming company past revenue, owning almost l% of the Unreal Engine and Fortnite, alongside League of Legends, Valorant, and other Riot properties. Having games that tin stand upward to the PC footprint of Tencent is maybe in some ways an even bigger mountain to climb for the engagement-hungry Microsoft, which sees the tech giant every bit an existential threat across various aspects of its business, across gaming itself.

Starcraft 2 Image Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Thought, at the end of the day, who cares most trillion-dollar corps and their concerns? What matters ultimately is how consumers benefit. If Microsoft intends to reach the earth's 3 billion gamers with its all-encompassing Xbox Game Pass/PC Game Laissez passer subscription service, hitting every niche is admittedly in their remit. This bodes well for everything from Overwatch, to Heroes of the Storm, to StarCraft, likewise as spinoffs in those beloved universes. Where subscription appointment is king, building good content and curating positive ongoing sentiment is absolutely key, and few communities are every bit passionate as Blizzard's.

Xbox is shielded from shareholder meddling

Activision Source: Windows Central

Some other reason I retrieve the futurity is brilliant for Blizzard is that Xbox is shielded from shareholder scrutiny in a way that Activision itself wasn't.

Microsoft posted revenues upwards of $50 billion dollars for the quarter yesterday, and analysts and investors didn't ask a single question about the Activision Blizzard acquisition during the earnings call. Microsoft's bread and butter is deject, and business organisation-to-business mega deals, like its enormous $20 billion deal with the U.Southward. military for HoloLens.

Azure powers hundreds of businesses across the globe, which forms the basis of its operating income. Azure dwarfs many of Microsoft's historical business segments, including Windows licensing on PCs and Xbox itself, allowing some of Microsoft's "smaller" divisions to avoid some of the meddling we see occur at companies like EA, Take-Two, and Activision.

I feel similar some of the big video game publishers exercise this weird dance where they lurch from pissing off fans with aggressive monetization plans, and so falling back on more than popular projects to rebuild lost trust. We've seen it from EA with its handling of BioWare and Die, and we've seen it from Accept-2 with its GTA Trilogy remake, and its apparent abandonment of Red Expressionless Online.

Warcraft Jailer Sylvanas Source: Blizzard Warcraft has lost millions of players over the years, due to a reject in quality.

On the Activision side, we've seen World of Warcraft expansions lose unique features over time, in favor of cheaper, rehashed versions of previous systems emerging repeatedly while writing quality took a large nosedive. We saw Warcraft III: Reforged, which should've been celebrated, launch in this one-half-finished state, with fewer features than the original customer. The Diablo Two remaster was a rare win for modern Blizzard thankfully, but we've likewise seen Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft become abased in the procedure. We've seen Activision lay off hundreds of people arbitrarily too over the years, simply to re-rent them after quarterly earnings were posted.

Xbox Game Pass has given Microsoft a perspective shift that allows for more artistic risk.

This isn't to suggest Microsoft has no capacity for pissing off fans, of class. Microsoft is a business, not a charity, and withal wants Xbox to be profitable. In full general, though, I think Xbox Game Laissez passer and Microsoft's condition as a platform holder allows for more creative risk than Activision does.

Tying the success of the division to Xbox/PC Game Pass growth effectively incentivizes quality, creativity, and unique games that perhaps sit outside of prevailing trends. Microsoft too derives value from positive sentiment across its brand and ecosystem in a manner that Activision doesn't. We've seen Microsoft invest in studios that are substantially known for sitting outside of the mega-hit mainstream, such as Double Fine, and inXile. We've seen Microsoft greenlight creative and smaller games, such every bit Grounded from Obsidian. A lot of the projects I run into coming out of Xbox Game Studios are titles I would never expect modernistic EA, Activision, or Take-Two to greenlight, outside of their indie incubators.

Ultimately, as long as Azure keeps doing the big numbers to gratify the establishment shareholders, the gaming division at Microsoft substantially gets to put its emphasis on gamers, creativity, and quality, in a way that Activision, EA, and others, often tin can't apparently.

Healing Blizzard

Activision Blizzard Walkout One Blizzard Source: Carli Velocci / Windows Key

Over the past year, revelations well-nigh Blizzard's working environs rocked the image of the studio, with victims of harassment, abuse, and maltreatment coming forward with their experiences. Information technology painted a grim picture of a studio that at ane point in fourth dimension seemed invincible. It as well put a spotlight on CEO Robert Kotick's hands-off leadership style, treating the company like a piggy banking concern as opposed to the respect it really deserved.

Former Blizzard atomic number 82 J. Allen Brack took the fall for a lawsuit kicked off by California into these revelations, although I've spoken to sources at Blizzard who believe he was scapegoated, ultimately, to salve Robert Kotick. Kotick and the board of directors made their attitudes towards the lawsuit and staff apparent when it beginning emerged, with Kotick cowering behind subordinates rather than addressing the allegations directly.

Last yr, information technology felt a bit like there was no fashion for Blizzard to emerge from this dark menstruation. It seemed as though Kotick and the rest of the executive level squad were going to stay put, resisting calls to resign, essentially keeping the structures in place that allowed these things to occur.

Activision Blizzard Walkout Voice Always Matters Source: Carli Velocci / Windows Central Last year, Blizzard staff walked out in protestation.

We saw an exodus of staff at every level, dissatisfied with Kotick's deflections and inability to take responsibility. Just concluding calendar week, Kotick gave an interview where he essentially blamed his developers with the delays of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV for Activision's sliding share price, rather than the high-profile lawsuit that dilapidated the company's image in the mainstream non-gaming printing.

Kotick admittedly must be fired, and the leadership team cleared out, and one tin only assume they will be. New leadership is needed to truly turn a page on the company's darker days, and hopefully, hefty bounty packages for those affected by the allegations. It falls to former Xbox Corporate Vice President Mike Ybarra to atomic number 82 the transport frontward. Thus far Ybarra has been transparent about improving the company civilization and rebuilding trust both within and outside the company.

Belongings Microsoft to account

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Fundamental

Indeed, I've said information technology before, and I'll say it again, the most of import aspect of this whole affair is positive outcomes for Blizzard, and all Activision staff. Acquisitions are a scary time, speaking somewhat from experience, given that Windows Central itself used to be an independent blog. Yous don't know how the new company will bear upon your civilization, you don't know what restrictions may be placed on your ability to create and ultimately enjoy your task. Y'all don't know whether friends or colleagues may be moved to other departments, or fifty-fifty laid off. Thankfully, our acquisition has been relatively smooth sailing and somewhat allowed the states to focus a fleck more than on delivering content (fifty-fifty if I do despise our company-mandated Google Apps).

Of grade, Activision Blizzard joining Microsoft is on an entirely unlike level of complexity and stressors than what I've experienced hither. In purchasing Activision Blizzard King, Microsoft takes on responsibility for employees who may still be hurting and need support. They inherit departments typically outside of their usual wheelhouse, like the esports MLG arrangement Activision owns. They inherit the lawsuits, and the task of rebuilding trust both inside the company and across.

WoW Source: Windows Key

I've made no clandestine of the fact that Earth of Warcraft is one of my most beloved games, and has been an important force in my life. With over ten,000 hours played, friendships I've made in WoW endure over 15 years later on. There's no game that means more to me, in terms of the impact it has had on my life.

I only hope that this whole deal provides a reality of a brighter future.

Even though I don't currently play, I feel this sense of admiration and appreciation towards Blizzard, whose worlds helped me bargain with what ended up being quite a dark menstruation in my life. I know dozens of Blizzard fans who have similar stories about all of their games. Built families and relationships through people they'd met in WoW, or establish careers through the passion their games stir in people.

For the developers and all affected staff, I only hope that this whole deal provides a reality of a brighter hereafter where Blizzard can return to what it'south known for outset and foremost: amazing worlds, cherished characters, and incredible games, with staff that are paid well, in an surroundings that is nurturing and rubber.

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