Activision Blizzard exec claims that Sony CEO “just wants to block” Microsoft merger

Activision Blizzard Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dennis Durkin recently made a bold claim that Sony’s CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, wants to block Microsoft’s merger with the company. The multi-billion dollar merger was made to expand Microsoft’s gaming portfolio, but Yoshida’s actions have caused major setbacks in the process.

Activision Blizzard is a prominent video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution platform. Their current catalog consists of popular series such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo, among other titles. Microsoft had made an offer to acquire a minority stake in the company as part of their larger gaming strategy, however Sony’s CEO is allegedly trying to put a stop to these plans.

Durkin stated his opinion during an Activision Blizzard earnings conference, saying that Yoshida “just wants to block” the Microsoft merger. He further explained the sentiment by noting that the Sony executive believes “gaming is a two-horse race, and primarily Sony and Nintendo should be that two-horse race.”

This comments has come in light of Microsoft’s recent efforts to expand their own gaming division. The company has acquired Zenimax Media and its parent company, Bethesda, which gives them ownership of several renowned game series such as The Elder Scrolls, Doom, and Fallout. Sony, on the other hand, does not appear to be making major moves to promote its own gaming reach, as evidenced by their lack of participation in this acquisition.

While Yoshida has yet to comment on the allegations made by Durkin, there is no denying that Sony is feeling the heat from Microsoft’s actions. Microsoft has long been at the forefront of gaming technology and its investment in Activision Blizzard could be the first step of many that it makes towards increasing its influence in the video game market.

As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether or not Yoshida’s attempts to block the Microsoft’s merger will succeed. With Microsoft’s huge market share, Sony may find it difficult to oppose the merger in a successful way. Nonetheless, this latest development is an intriguing one in the ongoing struggle for control of the gaming industry.