It's Been Years Since Xbox Acquired A Studio, But It Sounds Like They're Considering It Again

It's been a very long time since Xbox last acquired a studio, and to be honest we're still a little traumatised by that whole process (!) — it was a very drawn out takeover of Activision Blizzard that lasted almost two full years.

The takeover finally completed in late 2023, and we haven't seen studio acquisitions from Xbox in recent years, but new boss Asha Sharma and EVP Matt Booty have suggested that more takeovers could be on the cards going forward.

In the massive leadership statement that was shared yesterday, while talking about the four key priorities for the future, Sharma and Booty mentioned that Xbox will "use M&A deliberately to accelerate growth where organic paths are too slow". M&A stands for Mergers and Acquisitions.

"Use M&A deliberately to accelerate growth where organic paths are too slow"

With that said, we're not expecting anything on the level of an Activision Blizzard or Bethesda takeover in the years ahead. The whole ActiBlizz saga probably put Microsoft off trying to acquire such massive companies anyway, and trying to purchase yet another huge business would surely cause more issues with regulatory bodies such as the CMA and FTC. In other words, it's more hassle than it's worth!

Smaller studios though? Sure, there are possibilities there. We've seen loads of these join Xbox over the years, from Ninja Theory to Double Fine, and we wouldn't be surprised to see more added to the lineup in years to come.

The big question is whether it's a good idea or not. With Xbox having access to so many teams, do they really need more in the future? That's what Sharma and Booty will be evaluating over time, and it'll interesting to see what comes of it (if anything).

What do you think? Should more acquisitions be considered? Let us know in the comments section below.