Microsoft and Activision to Concentrate on ‘AA’ GamesKing Personnel to Empower Smaller Blizzard

According to Corden, this new team’s objective is to work on mid-tier games based on existing franchises within Blizzard universes. Mid-tier games are smaller in scope and budget than AAA releases, and with King being renowned for mobile hits like Candy Crush and Farm Heroes, the speculation is that the new team will focus on developing these games for mobile.

King does have experience with developing mobile games based on existing properties. They previously developed Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, an endless runner akin to Temple Run, in 2021, and announced plans for a Call of Duty mobile game in 2017. While the former has since been discontinued, the latter’s progress remains unclear, especially considering Call of Duty: Mobile is developed by a separate team.

Microsoft Aims to Strengthen Their Mobile Presence

Spencer explained, "The reason we’re in the acquisition discussion with Activision Blizzard King is around their mobile capability because it’s just something we don’t have… We obviously already have Call of Duty on our platform; we already have Diablo on our platform. So it’s not about new games that Xbox players don’t have access to today. It is about a capability on mobile, and some broader ambitions that we have on the largest gaming platform, which is mobile phones."

To further strengthen their gaming presence, Microsoft is actively developing a mobile store to rival Apple and Google. While specific details remain undisclosed, Spencer suggested at CCXP 2023 that it would release sooner rather than "multiple years away."

With the escalating costs of premium game development, Microsoft is exploring a new approach. According to Jez Corden, the company plans to experiment with modest teams within its broader structure to address this growing change.

While specifics remain under wraps, the formation of this new team has made fans speculate as to what they could be working on. Possibilities include diminished versions of well-known franchises like World of Warcraft, similar to League of Legends’ portable counterpart, Wildrift. They could also work on a portable Overwatch experience akin to Apex Legends Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile.