• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechActivision Blizzard

Activision’s ‘Overwatch’ Video Game Fuels Strong Sales

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2017, 4:22 PM ET
Crowd waits for video presentation at the Activision booth during the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles
A crowd waits for a video presentation at the Activision booth during the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles, California June 11, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE - SEARCH 'BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD 31 OCT' FOR ALL IMAGES - RTX2R4S5© Jonathan Alcorn / Reuters REUTERS

Activision Blizzard raised its full-year adjusted profit and revenue forecasts, and reported quarterly revenue above estimates, as the videogame publisher benefited from the popularity of its “Overwatch” game.

The company on Thursday nudged up its full-year adjusted profit to $1.88 per share from $1.85 and its adjusted revenue forecast to $6.33 billion from $6.30 billion.

Activision’s total adjusted revenue rose 31.7% to $1.20 billion in the first quarter ended March 31, from $908 million a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected revenue of $1.09 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

“Among the drivers of our results was ‘Overwatch’, which now has over 30 million players globally,” CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement.

Activision, best known for its “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft” games, released the multi-player futuristic game “Overwatch” on May 24 last year to rave reviews.

Revenue from the company’s high-margin digital business rose 50%.

Activision Blizzard (ATVI), like rivals Electronic Arts (EA) and Take Two Interactive (TTWO), has in recent years benefited from a shift among players to download games rather than buy physical discs.

For more about video games, watch:

Activision Blizzard’s net income rose to $426 million, or 56 cents per share, from $363 million, or 48 cents per share in the latest quarter.

Under Kotick, Activision is looking to transform into a media entertainment giant. The company has set up a film studio, e-sports and consumer products divisions. The consumer products unit is headed by former Walt Disney executive, Tim Kilpin.

The company bought “Candy Crush” maker King Digital for nearly $6 billion last year, looking for a bigger foothold in the highly-addictive mobile gaming space.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Last week, Activision released a trailer of its latest “Call of Duty,” set in World War II, as the company looks to rebound from disappointing sales of last year’s installment, “Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare.”

Though early, initial pre-orders for “Call of Duty: WWII” are off to a very strong start, the company said.

Activision had 48 million monthly active users in the first quarter, down from a year earlier, largely due to expected softness from the “Infinite Warfare” release.

The company forecast current-quarter adjusted revenue of $1.20 billion, largely in line with analysts’ average estimate of $1.19 billion.

Videogame companies are required to defer some revenue from certain online-enabled games following a tweak to the U.S. accounting rules.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

broker
EconomyMarkets
Citadel Securities demolishes viral AI doomsday essay, arguing the real ‘Global Intelligence Crisis’ is ignorance of macro fundamentals
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 26, 2026
4 hours ago
InnovationHome robots
For $20,000, a humanoid robot will do your household chores for you like unloading the dishwasher and watering plants—but it still needs help
By Matty Merritt and Morning BrewFebruary 26, 2026
5 hours ago
instagram
LawSocial Media
As Meta battles addiction claims in court, Instagram says it will start notifying parents of kids searching for suicide or self-harm
By Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026
5 hours ago
ebay
LaweBay
Couple who got live insects, bloody pig mask mailed to them reach settlement with eBay
By Leah Willingham and The Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026
6 hours ago
Man speaks on stage
CryptoNvidia
Bitcoin rides Nvidia wave to spike above $70,000 before pulling back
By Carlos GarciaFebruary 26, 2026
7 hours ago
peter thiel
AIskills
Forget the STEM safety net. Peter Thiel warns AI is a bigger threat to technical roles than to creative thinkers
By Jake AngeloFebruary 26, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt robot vacuum maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jeff Bezos says being lazy, not working hard, is the root of anxiety: ‘The stress goes away the second I take that first step’
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Jamie Dimon says society should start preparing for AI job displacement: ‘Now’s the time to start thinking about’ it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Ex–presidential candidate Andrew Yang warns that millions of white-collar workers will lose their jobs within 18 months: ‘The AI jobpocalypse is here’
By Preston ForeFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
'Trump Accounts' means kids can have $270,000 saved by age 18.  Larry Fink says that's twice as much as most adults have now
By Catherina GioinoFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Olympic champion Eileen Gu says she rewires her brain daily to be more successful—and multimillionaire founder Arianna Huffington says it really does work
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 25, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.