Activision

There is more information available on this subject at Activision on the English Wikipedia.

Activision
Company information
Date founded:	1979
Founder(s):	David Crane Alan Miller Bob Whitehead Jim Levy
Parent company:	Microsoft Activision Blizzard
Headquarters:	Santa Monica, California, USA
Website:	activision.com activisionblizzard.com

Activision Publishing, Inc., or simply Activision, is an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1979. A subsidiary of Microsoft under the Xbox division following their 2023 acquisition, the company is best known for owning, publishing, and developing the Call of Duty series.

History

Founding and Rise

Activision was founded on October 1, 1979, in Sunnyvale, California. The company made history as the industry's first independent, third-party video game developer and publisher, successfully challenging Atari's monopolistic control over software distribution for the Atari 2600 console. The company achieved significant success in the early 1980s with iconic titles such as Pitfall!, Kaboom!, and River Raid.

Despite weathering the video game crash of 1983, Activision faced bankruptcy after a rebranding to Mediagenic in the late 1980s. In 1991, it was acquired by an investor group, which restored the Activision name and relocated the headquarters to Southern California. Under new leadership, the company experienced a financial turnaround in the late 1990s and 2000s by acquiring major development studios and launching successful franchises, including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Guitar Hero, and the Call of Duty series. By July 2008, Activision merged with Vivendi Games, forming the gaming conglomerate Activision Blizzard.

Activision and Bungie

On April 29, 2010, following its departure from Xbox and the Halo franchise, Bungie entered an exclusive 10-year publishing partnership with Activision for the Destiny franchise. This arrangement was a publishing contract rather than a corporate buyout, allowing Bungie to maintain its independence while Activision published Destiny and Destiny 2. The partnership ended early in January 2019 when Bungie cut ties with Activision, with the intellectual property rights to the Destiny franchise transferring to Bungie.

Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft

On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard, Activision's parent company, for $68.7 billion. The historic deal was officially completed on October 13, 2023, making Activision Blizzard and its subsidiaries—including Activision Publishing—subsidiaries of Microsoft Gaming (later rebranded as Xbox in April 2026). The acquisition and merger added over 8,500 employees and iconic franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Candy Crush to the Xbox portfolio.

Activision and Halo

"For Halo, our goal is clear: make the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place. It is a bold ambition, one that this franchise deserves. We have already begun assembling a purpose-built team, unique in capability and talent, ready and excited to deliver this next chapter with the community."

— Activision president Rob Kostich

During the Xbox division's internal organizational "Reset" on September 22, 2026, Microsoft shifted development responsibilities for the Halo franchise away from Halo Studios. As part of this transition, Activision was assigned to lead the development of the next mainline Halo title. The project is being spearheaded by a newly formed, purpose-built studio team operating independently from Call of Duty pipelines, while a smaller contingent at Halo Studios remains dedicated to supporting existing in-market games and the community.