After a long protracted back and forth between various institutions, Microsoft has acquired Activision Blizzard. A purchase deemed “transformative” by the CWA Union. Shortly after this acquisition, Microsoft announced changes in the Xbox leadership.
The Xbox leadership reorganization announcement
According to a report by The Verge, two weeks after acquiring Activision Blizzard, Microsoft promoted several members of their leadership across several departments.
The most notable of these is in the Xbox leadership reorganization. Matt Booty has been promoted to President of Game Content and Studios. This includes the new responsibility of Zenimax Media and Bethesda Softworks.
According to an internal memo, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained that Zenimax will continue to operate as a limited integration entity led by President and CEO Jamie Leder, but now she will report to Booty.
Another promotion is Sarah Bond becoming the President of Xbox. This means she will take over and manage both the hardware, software platforms, and business side of Microsoft’s console.
These changes in management will allow for greater communication and collaboration between teams the company has acquired. This future-proofing shift in management may be in reaction to the critically lambasted release of Redfall.
Notably, according to the new Xbox org chart, once Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick departs the company at the end of 2023, there will be more women in leadership positions at Xbox than men. At time of writing, Microsoft have yet to name a replacement for Kotick.
Of course, this Xbox leadership reorganization is but one step in Microsoft’s integration of Activision Blizzard into their gaming division. With the latter producing some of the most popular games on the market with Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo, it is empirical that this reorganization happens seamlessly.
After multiple meetings and hearings with various US and UK regulators, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was completed at the price of $68.7 billion dollars. It is to date the largest corporate merger in the videogame industry.
Featured images courtesy of Xbox Podcast & Xbox On.
