There are big companies, and then there are the titans of the video game industry. For many years now, Activision has probably been the one at the top of the mountain, only being challenged by the likes of Take-Two Interactive and EA, but what is incredible is how few titles they actually publish to stay on top vs even their closest competitors. After merging with Blizzard and buying mobile studio King, with only a handful of titles, the company remains at titan-level status. And the latest quarter financials show that.
Activision announced their financial results for the second quarter of 2020, which includes April 1st to June 30th of the year. In it they recorded record financials, exceeding expectations. On the Activision side, Call of Duty was the big winner, as usual, with Call of Duty: Warzone surpassing 75 million players, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare adding more players outside its launch quarter than any other Call of Duty in history. Call of Duty Mobile also saw strong growth and player engagement.
On the Blizzard side, they recorded 32 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users) across their games. World of Warcraft saw its overall engagement increase, with increase in the upcoming expansion, The Shadowlands, saw positive reception from public testing. Overwatch and Hearthstone also saw increased player engagement from both new and returning players.
As with many companies, Activision said a lot of this growth came from the many shelter-at-home orders in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For the rest of the year, the company will release Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! for mobile devices and a 2020 Call of Duty title that hasn’t been officially announced as of yet.
