Microsoft gutted the Age of Empires studio while folding it into Activision
Former employees say the studio's next project was canceled during the transition
Activision blizzard articles
Xbox lays off 268 more people as Activision takes over Halo and Bethesda absorbs Obsidian
In a nutshell: The next round of Microsoft's previously announced layoffs includes major studio consolidations and possibly more closures. The Halo franchise just got its biggest shakeup in years as the Xbox manufacturer seeks to cut costs and the number of moving parts. Meanwhile, the fates of Ninja Theory and Arkane Lyon hang in the balance.
Activision says the Call of Duty cheat economy is now a $8.5 billion industry
Software cheats, DMA-based cheating hardware, and stolen accounts are big business
World of Warcraft: Forever launches November 4 with a new race, over 1,000 new quests, and 9 dungeons
Blizzard is launching a whole new WoW two weeks before GTA 6, beta drops this week
Activision posts video showing Call of Duty cheat seller getting served at his home
Activision says it has disrupted more than 375 cheat reseller operations and served over 80 legal demands
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 confirmed for October 23, brings the series to Korea
Something to look forward to: Activision has finally pulled back the curtain on Infinity Ward's latest Call of Duty game, confirming prior reports regarding its setting and platform availability. As the franchise takes ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling to a new level, Modern Warfare 4 promises higher technical specifications, a revamped movement system, the return of DMZ mode, and more.
Infinity Ward teases the next Call of Duty, calling it "the definitive Modern Warfare"
Fans are expecting an appearance at Sony's State of Play or the Summer Game Fest in just two weeks
Call of Duty co-founder claims Activision pushed to make a game about Iran invading Israel
When video games foretell reality by twisting it
Call of Duty's chart-topping run comes to an end
Bottom line: Amid Microsoft's ambition to turn Game Pass into gaming's dominant business model, one of its most valuable assets is showing signs of strain. Call of Duty, a $35 billion global franchise known for annual billion-dollar releases, appears to be in decline less than two years after Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Black Ops 7 markedly underperforms as sales and player count tumble
Activision acknowledges CoD disappointing sales and promises sweeping changes
Microsoft open-sources the original Zork trilogy, unlocking a huge piece of gaming history
One of gaming's oldest classics is now open source
Studios behind Black Ops 7, Anno 117, and Arc Raiders push back on AI criticism
Activision, Ubisoft, and Arrowhead react in contrasting ways
Microsoft sets its sights on a universal gaming ecosystem
Nadella details plans for an open Xbox that leverages Windows, AI, and cloud advancements for gamers everywhere
Call of Duty movie in the works as Paramount partners with Activision
Hollywood can't get enough of video game adaptations right now
Activision removes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 menu ads after backlash, claims it was an "error"
Sure, Activision
Facepalm: Activision Blizzard has used the tried-and-tested "it was an error, honestly," excuse after it placed ads for purchasable items in the loadout screens of Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Their appearance led to a huge backlash, and now Activision is claiming they were a "feature test" published "in error," which nobody believes.
Atari 2600: The Atlantis of Game Consoles
Atari rose like a legend, bringing arcade games home with the 2600 - then fell just as fast. This is the story of a console that shaped gaming history and nearly took the industry down with it.
Activision admits to using AI assets in Call of Duty following Steam policy change
It was pretty obvious
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick says lawsuits against the company were a "fake" union conspiracy
He also called the Warcraft adaptation one of the worst movies he's ever seen
Activision keeps frighteningly granular data on your Call of Duty gameplay - here's how to see it
A stats goldmine exposing crazy match details
Activision poured nearly $1.8 billion into two Call of Duty: Black Ops games and Modern Warfare development
Black Ops Cold War is now the second most expensive game ever
Classic Call of Duty titles surface on the Microsoft Store, fueling Game Pass speculation
Relive these classics, or experience them for the first time
Warcraft returns: Blizzard updates all three classics with high-res remasters, upgraded Battle.net features
Warcraft I, II, and III remasters are available now
Highly anticipated: Blizzard's first attempt to remaster a classic Warcraft game four years ago failed spectacularly. Now, for the franchise's 30th anniversary, the company is aiming for redemption by updating and repackaging the entire trilogy with high-resolution graphics, new user interface features, and more.
Call of Duty Mobile celebrates five years and one billion downloads
The mobile version of CoD is still going strong
Leaked files signal possible Warcraft II remaster reveal at 30th anniversary event
Fans are wary after the Warcraft 3 remaster debacle, though
Black Ops 6 scores biggest opening weekend in Call of Duty history
The first CoD to launch day-one on Game Pass