After Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, will Electronic Arts be the next step to consolidate its position in the industry?
Microsoft spent $70 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard after it acquired Bethesda in 2020. However, this step shows that it is not the only step the company will take to seize the game industry or to come to a more solid position. After all, they sure have a lot of money to spend.
Is EA the next target after Activision?
Given this background, Financial Times, points to FIFA publisher Electronic Arts as their next target. With titles like Madden, The Sims, and Apex Legends, EA is undoubtedly one of the industry’s heavyweights, but with an enterprise value of $38 billion, which is less than what Microsoft paid for Activision, it’s not hard to imagine that.
However, while Microsoft clearly has money to scatter, the Financial Times assumes that Apple, Amazon, Google and even Netflix could be potential buyers; all these companies would do well to grow their business in the video game arena and it wouldn’t be a bad move to buy one of the industry’s most famous publishers.
The Financial Times also points out that Sony may also be interested in EA, given that it has lost ground to Microsoft when it comes to acquisitions. The FT says the Japanese firm may be “seeking to build its exclusive gaming portfolio.”