The latest financial report from Activision Blizzard is here – and it looks quite solid. Is it despite or because of the Corona virus?
In recent months and years, general news about Blizzard has mostly been rather negative. Just think back to the Blitzchung affair, the massive layoffs, and the reports that morale is at an all-time low.
However, Blizzard has seemingly been spared from major negative impacts in the last quarter. At least, that is suggested by the latest “conference call” discussing Activision Blizzard’s state in the first quarter of 2020.
What was said? The data shows that the MAUs (monthly active users) remained stable in the last quarter. In Q4 of 2019, they were at 32 million, and this number was also reached in Q1 2020. The number of active players in World of Warcraft is said to have increased. This is attributed to new content (Patch 8.3 and Classic phases), but also to the situation that many people need to stay at home at the moment.
In Hearthstone and Overwatch, things are also said to be solid, and player interest has increased – even though one of the biggest pros just left Overwatch.
Why is WoW stable? Basically, there is currently no fresh content in modern WoW. Battle for Azeroth is in its “winding down” phase, and a large part of the players is already mentally preparing for Shadowlands. However, that is exactly what is keeping the numbers quite stable at the moment, also because Blizzard has activated two big bonuses:
- A XP boost that allows characters to level up faster
- A reputation boost that enables players to farm nice amounts of gold or unlock allied races or flying in Battle for Azeroth
Together with the current global need to spend as much time at home as possible, many people are likely using the time to spend their leisure time in Blizzard’s games.
However, the “conference call” was not only positive. Compared to the previous year, Activision Blizzard’s revenues have decreased by 2.2%. Nevertheless, the company is in a much better position than expected, which is likely mainly due to the popularity of Call of Duty: Warzone.
