• 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
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet’s business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google’s search identity?
Big TechGoogle
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet’s business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google’s search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Man wearing a suit and tie and glasses
Big TechTech
Microsoft, Meta, and Google just announced billions more in AI spending. Only Google convinced investors it’s paying off
By Amanda GerutApril 29, 2026
2 hours ago
A man in a suit and tie
InvestingMeta
Meta just bumped its 2026 capex forecast up to as much as $145 billion for the AI boom—and investors flinched
By Amanda GerutApril 29, 2026
4 hours ago
How JPMorgan’s CIO is reshaping work at the bank with a $19.8 billion annual tech and AI budget
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How JPMorgan’s CIO is reshaping work at the bank with a $19.8 billion annual tech and AI budget
By John KellApril 29, 2026
10 hours ago
hollywood
CommentaryMarketing
I spent 20 years learning to navigate an industry. Then I built a campaign for the man who’s dismantling it
By Matti YahavApril 29, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for April 29, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for April 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 29, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
2 days ago
‘Take the money and run’: Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke on why the UAE quit OPEC
Energy
‘Take the money and run’: Johns Hopkins economist Steve Hanke on why the UAE quit OPEC
By Shawn TullyApril 29, 2026
20 hours ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
2 days ago
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
Economy
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
By Eleanor PringleApril 29, 2026
16 hours ago
More than two-thirds of U.S. schools say they’re unable to afford the cost of student free lunch—and MAHA’s dietary guidelines may make it worse
Economy
More than two-thirds of U.S. schools say they’re unable to afford the cost of student free lunch—and MAHA’s dietary guidelines may make it worse
By Sasha RogelbergApril 29, 2026
18 hours ago
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
Banking
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
By Eva RoytburgApril 29, 2026
8 hours 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.