Gaming
Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for nearly US$ 70B
Massive acquisition

Here’s a move no one saw coming. Microsoft has just acquired gaming company Activision Blizzard for a whopping US$ 68.7 billion in an all-cash transaction.
This means every studio and every game under Activision Blizzard now belongs to Microsoft. These include the creators of popular franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Crash Bandicoot, and more.
The acquisition will make Microsoft the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony.
Bobby Kotick, who has been embroiled in several issues concerning company culture will remain as CEO of Activision Blizzard. Once the deal formally closes, he and his team will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.
Exclusives?
The initial statement release stated that the Microsfot will continue to be present in the platforms that Activision Blizzard has established communities in. This could have allayed fears that the acquired titles will now be exclusive to Microsoft and Xbox. However, this line is no longer present and has been replaced with statements from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Phil Spencer.
“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Satya Nadella.
“Together we will build a future where people can play the games they want, virtually anywhere they want,” said Spencer.
Game Pass
The acquisition bodes well for Microsoft’s Game Pass. It already boasts of hundreds, if not thousands of gaming titles as well as over 25 million users.
The acquisition will add some parts of Activision Blizzard’s nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries. It will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry.


505 Games has announced the availability of one of its biggest titles this year, Crime Boss: Rockay City on Epic Games, with console releases to follow.
With a star-studded roster of voice actors in Hollywood greats Michael Madsen, Chuck Norris, Danny Trejo, Kim Basinger, Danny Glover, Michael Rooker, Damion Poiter, and Vanilla Ice, the organized crime shooter features a turf war for its main storyline, taking players back to 90s crime movies.
The game is available throughout Southeast Asia for the following rates:
- Indonesia – IDR 323,999
- Philippines – PhP 1,077.99
- Malaysia – MYR 93.99
- Singapore – SG$ 49.99
- Thailand – THB 819
- Vietnam – đ 513,000
Purchases until April 4 also get a corresponding 15% discount.
Rule the criminal underworld
Madsen plays the protagonist Travis Baker, who will have to overcome ridiculous odds amidst an explosive turf war to become the king of the criminal underworld.
Using different play-throughs, gamers will have to evade Sheriff Norris, team up with in-game characters, and conquer challenges and missions such as heists to take over Rockay.

Throughout the past few months, E3 has suffered through devastating losses. Though the conference was still scheduled to push through later this year, the event’s biggest names — Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox — have pulled out of the event for their own exclusive launches. Now, the death knell is clear: E3 2023 is reportedly cancelled.
First dropped by IGN, the bombshell announcement supposedly comes from a leaked email sent by Entertainment Software Association. The email, which was verified by IGN, states that the event “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.”
Back in February, Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox reportedly pulled out of the event. All three companies were still slated to hold separate events in some form during the conference. However, more recently, Ubisoft also pulled out, holding an in-person event in the Los Angeles area.
News on #E32023 from the source. pic.twitter.com/BK7TUlb8mZ
— E3 (@E3) March 30, 2023
Now, it’s clear. A few minutes after IGN dropped the news, E3’s official Twitter account confirmed the news and announced the cancellation of the 2023 conference. Both in-person and digital conferences will no longer push through.
For the past few years, the annual E3 conference seesawed between outright cancellation and exclusively digital programs because of the pandemic. This year was supposed to be the glorious return of the conference to an in-person event. However, with the new digital zeitgeist and an increased interest in smaller events, the writing on the wall is clear: E3 is gone, at least for the time being.
SEE ALSO: Ubisoft pulls out of E3 2023

HoYoverse has announced April 26 as the official release date of upcoming space fantasy RPG Honkai: Star Rail.
The brand-new title will be available on the Epic Games Store, PC, Android, and iOS. The PlayStation version is currently under development.
Honkai: Star Rail takes gamers to a journey of the unknown. It has fantasy elements, myths, and legends integrated into a space sci-fi story. It will adapt an intuitive turn-based combat system as players explore a vast universe filled with cultures, landscape, and scenery.
The main storyline revolves around protagonist Stellaron, who travels the galaxy from the Herta Space Station to know the truth behind the Cancer of All Worlds.
Players will eventually encounter Jarilo-VI, where numerous dangers and conflicts are frozen beneath the snow, and silkpunk flagship Xianzhou Luofu where immortality gets introduced.
To get everyone ready, the Boarding Preparation Special Program is available to watch below.
The informative video aids players on how to make the most out of Star Rail Passes and Stellar Jade, as well as behind the scenes stories of the game.
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