In a tweet, Jason Schreier has confirmed that Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision-Blizzard and avid yacht collector, will continue running the company through the end of the year. Come January 1, he will be departing the company he's been leading for the past 33 years. This news comes after the Microsoft x Activision-Blizzard merger was given the green light by UK regulators today.

Jokes aside, Bobby Kotick has been one of the most long-lasting an successful CEOs in the gaming industry. In 2017 it was reported he had become the longest-serving head of any publicly traded tech company. We've compiled a short overview of his career:

  • He became CEO of Activision in 1991 after buying a 25% stake in the almost-bankrupt company with his business partner.
  • Activision released its first hit game in 1995 and acquired nine other development studios between 1997-2003.
  • In the late 2000s, he engineered a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games (previous owners of Blizzard Entertainment), establishing Activision Blizzard.
  • His strategy regarding game products has been self-described as "narrow and deep" or "annualizable", a concrete example of this being successful yearly Call of Duty releases.

This is not to detract from his more recent controversies, such as the handling of the sexual harassment investigations at Blizzard. However, with Activision-Blizzard soon to be owned by Microsoft, his position, as well as his successes and failures, will not longer be a part of the studios going forward.

Quote From Bobby Kotick

Team,

Today marks a milestone in our company’s celebrated history.

Combining with Microsoft will bring new resources and new opportunities to our extraordinary teams worldwide. It will also enable us to deliver more fun, more joy, and more connection to more players than ever before.

This moment is possible because of your efforts over four decades to innovate, inspire, and achieve.

When Brian Kelly and I began this journey in 1991, we intended to build a company that would have great impact and lasting value. Your tireless work and unwavering commitment to excellence enabled us to do just that. In the 1980s, we pioneered independent, third-party game development with Pitfall, River Raid, and Kaboom. In the 1990s, we united the world with online multiplayer games like MechWarrior, Warcraft, and StarCraft. In the 2000s, we introduced Call of Duty, which became one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history. We also introduced Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which entered popular culture in ways few videogames ever have. In the 2010s, we debuted Candy Crush Saga, which to date has been downloaded more than five billion times and contributed to our total worldwide players being fifty percent female.

Your dedication is what makes it possible for us to continually push envelopes, break records, and delight players. Amid the uncertainty of the last 21 months, you’ve remained focused, as always, on serving our players and supporting each other.

I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition. Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players.

Brian and I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter for ABK. We now join one of the most successful global companies, poised for unprecedented opportunities to connect the world through our games. 

As a part of Microsoft, we will be even better, together.

Bobby