Every major video game industry acquisition of 2022

2022 is the biggest year for mergers and acquisitions in the history of the games industry. With billions upon billions of dollars being spent to acquire major studios in January alone, it's clear that something has shifted and prominent companies like Microsoft are optimistic about where things are going.

From the ground-breaking $68.7B deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Zynga, this year is shaping up to be an unforgettable one so we've rounded up all of the major video game industry acquisitions of 2022 with some useful information for good measure.

Completed

Better Collective acquires Futbin

Announced: April 19, 2022
Closed: April 19, 2022
Cost: $113M
Details: Better Collective, a sports betting media group, strengthen its gaming media portfolio by acquiring FIFA community website Futbin. The media group will pay $75.5M (€70M) in cash upfront, with the remaining amount coming through performance incentives paid over the next two years. Futbin joined Counter-Strike: Global Offensive publication HLTV under Better Collective ownership.

Savvy Gaming Group acquires ESL and FACEIT

Announced: January 24, 2022
Closed: April 21, 2022
Cost: $1.5B
Details: Savvy Gaming Group is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. It acquired ESL (and subsidiary DreamHack) for $1B from Modern Times Group and esports tournament platform FACEIT for $5B. The companies have been merged under the banner of ESL FACEIT Group, promising that collectively it will "deliver an end-to-end solution that supports game developers and publishers to build sustainable competitive gaming communities and esports ecosystems."

Take-Two Interactive acquires Zynga

Announced: January 10, 2022
Closed: May 23, 2022
Cost: $12.7B
Details: Take-Two Interactive is best known for the Grand Theft Auto franchise but now it's armed with the mobile studio behind FarmVille, another major gaming property, among other titles. "As we bring together our exceptional talent, exciting pipelines of games, and industry-leading technologies and capabilities, we believe that we can take our portfolio to another level of creativity, innovation, and quality," said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Infinite Reality acquires ReKTGlobal

Announced: April 12, 2022
Closed: July 6, 2022
Cost: $470M
Details: ReKTGlobal is an esports and entertainment holding company that operates in esports and the wider entertainment industry and it's now owned by a company that's looking to tap into the 'metaverse.' Through this acquisition, Infinite Reality now owns Call of Duty League franchise London Royal Ravens, European League of Legends partner team Rogue, media agency FullCube, content creation company Greenlit Content, and talent management agency TalentX.

Sony acquires Bungie

Announced: January 31, 2022
Closed: July 15, 2022
Cost: $3.6B
Details: No prospective completion date was given by either company when the agreement was announced. The last the public heard of the proposed Bungie acquisition by Sony, it was under scrutiny from the FTC. Though the commission may well not be able to block the deal, its choice to review it shows how keen an eye it's keeping on mergers and acquisitions in gaming. It does indeed seem as if the Halo and Destiny creator will join the Sony fold before long, though.

Embracer Group acquires Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, & Square Enix Montréal

Announced: May 2, 2022
Closed: August 26, 2022
Cost: $300M
Details: Not only did the transaction involve three major studios, it included a roster of IPs such as Tomb Raider, Deux Ex, Thief, Legacy Kain, and over 50 additional titles. Embracer took on around 1,100 employees across the three studios and eight locations and left Square Enix with the rights to Just Cause, Life Is Strange, and Outriders.

Aleksander Chachava acquires MY.GAMES

Announced: September 27, 2022
Cost: $642M
Details: MY.GAMES was previously owned by VK Company, which is part of the Mail.ru corporate group, but has been bought by Aleksander Chachava, Managing Partner of Leta Capital after a "multi-stage selection procedure." The developer was founded in May 2019 as a means for the Russian giant to enter the world of digital distribution, it'll now develop games under the VK Play brand.

Activision Blizzard's price tag of $68.7B would make the acquisition the largest of its kind in gaming.

Pending

Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard

Announced: January 18, 2022
Expected to close: 2023
Cost: $68.7B
Details: While over 95% of Activision Blizzard shareholders voted to approve the proposed acquisition from Microsoft — which would be a record transaction in the industry — there's still a long road ahead for the companies. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, will have to give its approval before the transaction and subsequent integration can take place. In fact, there is a long line of investors who are banking on the deal being delayed or even blocked by the FTC.