Activision Blizzard acquires Candy Crush creator for $5.9 billion

By

activision-blizzard-acquires-candy-crush-creator-for-5-9-billion-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads2015112015-11-03-091313-jpg
Activision just spent more on Candy Crush than you ever will. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Activision just spent more on Candy Crush than you ever will. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Activision Blizzard, the gaming company known for franchises like Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Guitar Hero, has acquired King Digital Entertainment for $5.9 billion.

The Candy Crush creator boasts one of the largest networks of players on mobile, with a staggering 474 million active users a month.

King has enjoyed incredible success on Android, iOS, and other mobile platforms with the Candy Crush series, as well as other titles like Bubble Witch Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, and Pet Rescue Saga. But despite expanding its portfolio of titles, the company is still hugely reliant on Candy Crush’s success.

That series alone, which was first launched in 2012, currently accounts for a third of King’s profits, despite consumer spending in the game falling 13 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2015. But like Rovio, creator of Angry Birds, King has been unable to replicate the same success with another series.

That clearly isn’t a worry for Activision Blizzard, which has announced it will acquire King in a deal worth $5.9 billion.

Activision Blizzard has released its own mobile games, but only 5 percent of its revenue was made on mobile devices during the second quarter. By buying King, the company gets instant access to more than half a billion mobile gamers in over 196 countries.

The deal is expected to close next spring.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.