Blizzard led Xbox studios in the financial year 2026
- Blizzard led Xbox studios in the 2026 fiscal year
- Third highest revenue in the company's history
- Revenue growth for the second consecutive year, the first time since 2016
- BlizzCon is scheduled for September 12-13 in California
After Microsoft began including Activision Blizzard's results in its quarterly reports, it became clear that the gaming company had turned into one of Xbox's key assets. In several financial documents, Microsoft emphasized Blizzard's significant contribution to the overall performance of the division.
This was reported by Blizzard president Johanna Faries in a letter addressed to employees. The contents of the letter were later revealed by journalist Jez Corden from Windows Central.
For Xbox, 2026 turned out to be less successful than expected, primarily due to declining revenues from projects like Call of Duty and Candy Crush. Nevertheless, Blizzard, now operating as a semi-independent division, demonstrated steady growth.
According to Faris, in the financial year 2026, Blizzard ranked first among all studios operating under the Xbox brand. This period became the third largest in revenue in the company's history, and revenue growth continued for the second consecutive year – the first time since 2016, when Overwatch was released. Key drivers of success included the Diablo IV expansion titled "Lord of Hatred" and the renewed popularity of Overwatch, which recorded its best quarterly result since 2022.
It is worth noting that at the beginning of 2026, Overwatch underwent a rebranding, removing the number "2" from its title, as well as receiving a number of other updates aimed at retaining the audience.
The nearest BlizzCon
Feris also announced the upcoming BlizzCon festival, scheduled for September 12-13 in California. According to her, the event is set to be a powerful push into a new era of energy and enthusiasm, supporting the company's mission to bring joy and unite players around the world.
During the conference, the expansion "The Last Titan" for World of Warcraft is expected to be presented, as well as announcements about the development of several mobile spin-offs in collaboration with other studios. Additionally, Blizzard is exploring the possibilities of creating anime series and is preparing a new third-person shooter set in the StarCraft universe, which will be led by Dan Hay, who previously worked on several installments of Far Cry.
Source: StopGame
