Microsoft pays $250 million to end lawsuit over Activision Blizzard buyout

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Wow, as a fan, I just learned that Activision Blizzard shareholders received a $250 million payout from Microsoft! The whole situation behind it is pretty wild, and I’m really curious to know all the details.

I remember back in 2022, things were really rough for Activision. Their stock price had plummeted after a bunch of serious allegations about sexual harassment and misconduct came out. Instead of trying to fix things internally, the CEO at the time, Bobby Kotick, decided to sell the company to Microsoft. Honestly, a Swedish pension fund even publicly said the price Microsoft paid was way too low – it was a pretty shocking situation to watch unfold as a fan.

As a gamer, I always feel like I’m getting ripped off in in-game transactions, and this situation was kind of like that, but on a much bigger scale. Basically, a fund argued that the company’s value was way underestimated when the deal went down, and the shareholders didn’t get what they deserved. Turns out, proving that was worth a massive $250 million! It’s like finding a super rare item that everyone thought was junk – huge payoff!

Microsoft agrees to pay $250 million to settle Activision shareholder lawsuit

Microsoft has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders related to its $75.4 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, Bloomberg Law reported Friday. The case, which had been ongoing for three years, was settled in Delaware’s Chancery Court.

AP7, a Swedish pension fund representing millions of savers, filed a lawsuit claiming Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, hurried the sale to Microsoft to shield himself from scandal. The lawsuit alleges that by selling the company when its stock price was low, the board unfairly forced shareholders to accept a price much lower than the company was worth.

Last October, a judge allowed the lawsuit against Kotick and other board members to proceed, but dismissed claims that Microsoft worked with them to lower the deal’s price. Now that Microsoft has reached a settlement, neither side is accepting blame.

As the legal battle continued, it became increasingly unusual. Kotick, with the help of prominent lawyer Alex Spiro, responded by claiming the initial lawsuit was misleading.

He alleged that the vice chairman of AP7 used to work for Embracer Group, a competing gaming company, and suggested AP7 filed the lawsuit at Embracer’s request to unfairly harm Activision. Embracer strongly denied any involvement or coordination. AP7 called the claim completely false, baseless, and without merit.

The purchase of Activision was a highly debated deal in the gaming world. It faced resistance from regulators in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, but was ultimately completed in 2023.

Activision shareholders impacted by the recent deal will receive $250 million. However, a court still needs to give its final approval before the funds are distributed.

I’ve been following the Microsoft-Activision deal closely, and it’s been amazing to see how much it’s changed the gaming world. I was also really curious about what happened with Bobby Kotick after everything went through – it turns out he made a huge amount of money when the deal finally closed, and I’ve got all the details if you’re interested!

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2026-05-22 21:19