In 2014, Microsoft purchased Minecraft and its creator, Mojang, for $2.5 billion. However, Microsoft wasn’t the only company interested in buying the popular game. Reports from years ago indicated that Activision (along with EA) also made offers. Now, former Activision executive Bobby Kotick has shared details about their attempt to acquire Minecraft and why the deal ultimately fell through.
Appearing on billionaire Ari Emanuel’s podcast, Kotick said of Minecraft, “I almost bought it.”
He explained that he spent five days with Markus ‘Notch’ Persson, the founder of the company, offering him $1.5 billion. Persson then surprised them by announcing his resignation, along with his key leaders – all while the company only had 30 employees. This led them to realize they couldn’t effectively run the company.
Persson later called Kotick and mentioned Microsoft had offered $2.5 billion, which seemed like too much for Activision. He jokingly offered to go shopping for airplanes with Kotick, but only if Kotick accepted the offer.
According to Kotick, Xbox leader Phil Spencer was the key person who finalized the Minecraft acquisition. He also praised Matt Booty, another Xbox executive, for successfully managing the Minecraft franchise after Microsoft bought Mojang.
Eventually, Minecraft became part of Activision through Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but this happened some time after the game’s initial release.
I remember reading a fascinating article in Wired back in 2015 about how Microsoft bought Minecraft! It talked about how everyone at Mojang was worried the team would fall apart after the sale. You see, back then, the company was pretty small, and only a few people – Markus Persson, Jakob Porser, and Carl Manneh – actually owned stock in it, so there was real concern they’d just leave if things changed too much.
Microsoft offered significant incentives to keep employees working after its acquisition of Mojang. Those who stayed for at least six months received a payment of 2 million Swedish Krona – approximately $300,000 USD. Additionally, Microsoft guaranteed all employees their regular monthly salary for two years, even if the Stockholm office were to close.
Even after Microsoft bought Minecraft and its creator, Mojang, the game has continued to thrive. Today, Minecraft is among the five best-selling games of all time, having sold over 300 million copies. Rather than making a completely new version (Minecraft 2), Mojang has consistently updated and enhanced the original game. While spin-off games like Minecraft Earth, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends were released, none achieved the popularity of the original. Beyond gaming, the film A Minecraft Movie, released in 2025, grossed over $950 million worldwide, and a sequel is scheduled for 2027.
After Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for $75.4 billion, Bobby Kotick stepped down from his position at the company.
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2025-11-13 22:39