Activision Blizzard’s controversial CEO, Bobby Kotick, will be stepping down from the company at the end of 2023, it has been revealed. This news comes following the revelation that Microsoft has successfully purchased Activision Blizzard. As one of the biggest changes to come out the back of the deal, Bobby Kotick will stay on as CEO until the end of the year, at which point he will move on to whatever comes next. But there’s an enormous payday headed his way.

Thanks to the sale of Activision Blizzard – and Kotick’s subsequent departure – he’ll pick up almost $500 million. That’s mostly from the sale of his shares in Activision Blizzard. He’ll be staying on the books until the end of the year to oversee the ‘transition’ period that could bring about a sizeable restructuring, and during that time, he’ll be reporting directly to Phil Spencer.

To The Next Level

Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard – it was just today that the $69 billion acquisition was closed after a two-year-long saga that took the deal in and out of the courts. In a letter to Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick shared a few heartfelt words:

‘Today marks a milestone in our company’s celebrated history. Combining with Microsoft will bring new resources and new opportunities to our extraordinary teams worldwide. It will also enable us to deliver more fun, more joy, and more connection to more players than ever before.

This moment is possible because of your efforts over four decades to innovate, inspire, and achieve.’

In a lengthy recounting of his history with Activision Blizzard, Kotick walked through everything notable that he’d worked on with Activision Blizzard since beginning his journey way back in 1991. From the introduction of Warcraft and StarCraft to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero, Activision Blizzard has had an enormous impact on the gaming industry, and throughout it all, Bobby Kotick sat at the top.

He may have been a controversial leader in recent years, but there’s no doubting the legacy he has created over the last three or so decades. He spoke about what’ll come next:

‘I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition. Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players.

Brian and I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter for ABK. We now join one of the most successful global companies, poised for unprecedented opportunities to connect the world through our games. As a part of Microsoft, we will be even better, together.’

It’ll be very interesting to see what comes next – we can expect immense changes in very near future.

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