Thought that Microsoft was going to drop $72 billion on Activision Blizzard and then allow the studio to continue operation with no interference whatsoever? So this is our “we’re not surprised” faces when the news came out that Microsoft is restructuring its expensive new toy to form a smaller team that will focus on creating “AA games” within Blizzard’s existing franchises.
According to Windows Central, this new team is mostly made up of former King developers and will be tasked with creating more titles from existing IP properties including Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and more.
These lower-budget, lower-risk projects are meant to offset the higher cost and risk of major development. There are no announced projects as of yet, nor has Microsoft directly addressed the formation of this AA-level team.
