Activision

Activision is the powerhouse behind some of gaming’s most iconic franchises, including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Spyro the Dragon. Founded in 1979, it was the first major third-party video game publisher, breaking away from console makers to focus solely on game development and publishing. Over the decades, Activision has expanded its portfolio through acquisitions, notably merging with Blizzard Entertainment in 2008 to form Activision Blizzard. In 2023, Microsoft completed a $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making it part of Microsoft Gaming.