Yes. Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard on October 13, 2023, and the deal has been owned by Microsoft since then. The questions that remain are narrower: which rights Microsoft did not take, how regulators shaped the final deal, and what the FTC challenge did and did not change. Those are covered below.
The short answer and the date that matters
Microsoft announced on October 13, 2023 that it had completed the acquisition. In the announcement, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote: “Today, Microsoft officially completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile.”
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Because the question is phrased as a future event, it is worth being precise: the purchase is past tense. Activision Blizzard is now part of Microsoft, and Activision titles are published under Microsoft’s gaming organization. The acquired company is Activision Blizzard as a whole, not only the Activision label.
Key dates at a glance
| Date | Event | What it means for the question |
|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2023 | Microsoft announces completion of the acquisition | Ownership transferred. This is the answer to “did it happen?” |
| October 13, 2023 | UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) consents to a revised deal | The UK approval covered a transaction that excluded Activision’s non-EEA cloud streaming rights. |
| May 7, 2025 | Ninth Circuit affirms denial of the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction | The court upheld the decision not to block the deal while the FTC case continued. |
| May 22, 2025 | FTC dismisses its administrative complaint and closes the case | The challenge ended after the deal had already closed. It did not unwind the acquisition. |
What the UK approval actually covered
The CMA’s consent on October 13, 2023 applied to a revised transaction. Under that revised structure, Activision’s cloud streaming rights outside the European Economic Area (EEA) were not part of the purchase. Ubisoft received those non-EEA cloud streaming rights under the revised arrangement.
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That carve-out is the detail most often misread. It does not mean Microsoft acquired every Activision streaming right worldwide, and it does not mean Microsoft has no streaming role at all. It means the non-EEA cloud rights moved to Ubisoft as part of the way the deal was restructured to satisfy the UK review.
The FTC challenge: an allegation, then a dismissal
The Federal Trade Commission challenged the acquisition in administrative proceedings. The FTC’s own case page describes its allegation that the deal could enable Microsoft to suppress rivals in console, subscription, and cloud gaming. That is the agency’s allegation. It is not a court finding that the acquisition would or did have those effects.
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The litigation developed in stages. A federal court declined to grant the FTC a preliminary injunction, which would have blocked the deal while the case was pending. The Ninth Circuit affirmed that denial on May 7, 2025. On May 22, 2025, the FTC dismissed its administrative complaint and marked the matter closed. Because the deal had closed in 2023, the dismissal ended a challenge to a completed transaction rather than freeing a pending one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Ownership and streaming availability are separate questions
Readers often combine two different questions: whether Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard, and whether a given Activision game can be streamed on Xbox Cloud Gaming. The answers come from different parts of the deal.
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| Question | Answer established by the sources | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns Activision Blizzard? | Microsoft, since the acquisition closed. | Microsoft announcement, October 13, 2023 |
| Who holds Activision’s non-EEA cloud streaming rights? | Ubisoft, under the revised deal approved by the CMA. | CMA consent, October 13, 2023 |
| Are Activision titles available through Xbox Cloud Gaming? | Microsoft reported in 2024 that Ubisoft owned the relevant cloud rights and that Activision titles would become available on Xbox Cloud Gaming under regulatory commitments. | Microsoft company account, 2024 |
| Which titles are streamable today? | Not stated in the sources reviewed for this article. Catalog availability changes over time and by region. | Not stated |
The 2024 Microsoft account describes the commitments and the intended outcome. It is a dated company statement, not a guarantee that any particular title is streamable in your country today. Check the current Xbox Cloud Gaming catalog and your region’s store before assuming availability.
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How to phrase the answer accurately
- Safe: “Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard on October 13, 2023.”
- Safe: “The FTC challenged the deal, then dismissed its case in May 2025 after the Ninth Circuit upheld the denial of a preliminary injunction.”
- Avoid: “Microsoft owns every Activision streaming right in the world.” The non-EEA cloud streaming rights went to Ubisoft.
- Avoid: “The FTC proved the deal would hurt competition.” The FTC made allegations; the case was dismissed without that finding.
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