Activision forms new team to develop ‘AA’ spin-offs for its franchises

Activision forms new team to develop 'AA' spin-offs for its franchises

As a lifelong fan who has witnessed the evolution of these iconic franchises, I am absolutely thrilled by Activision Blizzard’s new venture! The formation of this AA studio is a breath of fresh air, promising spin-offs and potentially even mobile titles from beloved series like Diablo, Overwatch, and more.


As a dedicated gamer, I’ve always been captivated by Activision’s immense treasure trove of gaming franchises, worth an astounding $69 billion. The legendary IPs like Diablo, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft have undeniably left their mark, but there’s so much more to explore – they’ve barely scratched the surface of what these gems can offer!

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled about the recent development! With Microsoft now backing Activision, it seems like these cherished IPs are primed for growth. According to the latest buzz, Activision has established a new studio dedicated solely to crafting “AA” games derived from their existing franchises.

Activision Blizzard opens new AA studio for IP spin-offs

Activision forms new team to develop 'AA' spin-offs for its franchises

According to Windows Central’s latest report, it appears that a fresh Blizzard team has been established with a focus on creating smaller-scale games. This is suggested by changes in the LinkedIn profiles of employees who previously worked at King, the mobile gaming studio responsible for hits like Candy Crush.

It seems that the studio is set to focus on developing AA (Action-Adventure) games, which are not as large-scale as a new Diablo installment, but instead will involve spin-offs related to their existing intellectual properties.

In recent times, publishers like Riot Games have favored this approach, extending beyond their League of Legends intellectual property to develop upcoming titles such as 2XKO and a yet-to-be-named MMORPG.

Beyond Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard offers a variety of other popular games such as Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, and Tony Hawk for players to enjoy. However, it’s expected that Call of Duty will remain unaffected in this context.

Activision Blizzard could be set for a new wave of mobile titles

Activision forms new team to develop 'AA' spin-offs for its franchises

Recently, Microsoft has shared its intentions several times about expanding into mobile gaming by creating a fresh Xbox game store for both iOS and Android devices.

It’s rumored that most of the staff at this fresh studio are from King. This suggests they might be focusing on expanding into the mobile gaming sector, potentially bringing games like Diablo, Overwatch, and more to mobile platforms. Instead of simply remastering existing games, they plan to utilize these intellectual properties (IPs) to create new, unique mobile titles.

According to a report by Windows Central, it is suggested that Microsoft aims to have smaller development teams focus on creating games similar to those from Nintendo, inspired by the recent triumph of party games like Among Us, Fall Guys, and Palworld over the past three years.

Might we anticipate the potential team-up of Icarus and Widowmaker in a mobile Minecraft-like universe? Provided that the project doesn’t follow suit with the latest Game of Thrones: Legends, which is essentially Bejeweled rebranded with IP characters and voiceovers, we’re eager to explore where this new studio might lead us.

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2024-08-02 18:43