Activision King’s mobile gaming unit will see management changes ahead of Microsoft deal

Video game maker Activision Blizzard’s mobile games unit King said on Wednesday that two of its senior executives, including a co-founder, would leave the company ahead of its deal with Microsoft Corp.

In January, Microsoft announced that it was buying the Call of Duty maker for $68.7 billion (roughly Rs. 5,16,885 crore) in the gaming industry’s biggest deal in history so far. that global tech giants claim a virtual future.

Sebastian Knutsson, one of the founders of King, is stepping down as creative director, the maker of Candy Crush has said.

Chairman Humam Sakhnini, who worked for six years at King and 12 years at Activision Blizzard, is also stepping down, replaced by Tjodolf Sommestad. According to the company, Sakhnini is stepping down to return to the United States.

The executive reshuffle comes at a time when Activision is already facing a lawsuit from California regulators alleging the company “fosters a sexist culture.”

Activision has also been the subject of investigations detailing allegations of internal sexual harassment, and its employees have staged walkouts to protest the company’s response to the issues.

Activision said King’s in-game net bookings were up 14% year-over-year on the back of 20% growth at its biggest franchise in its fourth-quarter earnings announcement. , Candy Crush.

© Thomson Reuters 2022