Microsoft Will “Empower” Blizzard

With Activision Blizzard now officially owned by Microsoft, some pretty major franchises have come under Xbox ownership, and though Call of Duty is obviously getting a great deal of attention in those conversations, one cannot downplay the significance of Xbox now owning major Blizzard properties like Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Diablo.

And Microsoft, as you would expect, seems to have every intention of capitalizing on the strength of Blizzard’s history and catalog. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently made an appearance on-stage at BlizzCon 2023 (you can view his full speech below, courtesy of X user @Xbox_Series_XS), where after speaking about the significance and success of Blizzard’s aforementioned franchises, he briefly touched on the company’s future, saying that under Microsoft’s ownership, Blizzard will be empowered to continue innovating and delivering industry-defining experiences.

“Blizzard’s influence is everywhere, and because of its enduring legacy and phenomenal, revolutionary development, with a care and a craft that is incredibly rare in this industry,” Spencer said (transcription via VGC). “Our commitment at Xbox is to bring more great games to more players, in more places. And now that Blizzard is part of Xbox, we will nurture the essence of what has made Blizzard unique.

“We’re going to empower our new colleagues in a culture of trust, inclusion, and collaboration, to continue what they do best: redefining existing genres, creating new, never before seen experiences, and uniting players globally in new ways – in Azeroth, in Sanctuary, in near-future Earth, and beyond.”

Blizzard made a number of major announcements at the recent BlizzCon opening ceremony, including Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, new upcoming content for Overwatch 2 (including a new hero this December), a new trilogy of World of Warcraft expansions, and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic.

The studio is also currently working on a new survival IP, which will allegedly be called Odyssey.