Game On
Blizzard Boss Is Optimistic About a More Independent Future Under Xbox
The makers of Diablo, Warcraft and Overwatch are hopeful that the new regime from Microsoft will restore the studio’s sense of autonomy
Photographer: AFP/Getty Images
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Developers at Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of popular video-game franchises such as Diablo, Warcraft and Overwatch, nervously prepared for a big meeting with their new bosses.
On Oct. 13, after a protracted battle with regulators, Microsoft Corp. had completed its $69 billion acquisition of the gaming studio’s parent, Activision Blizzard Inc. Two weeks later, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox, and his lieutenants were inbound.