Activision Blizzard earned $1.2 billion from microtransactions in just 3 months

Theo Salaun
activision blizzard money

During their Q3 2021 financial call, Activision Blizzard reported earnings of $1.2 billion in microtransactions alone from July to September. This covers all games, including Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Warzone purchases.

A lot has been made of microtransactions and their place in the gaming ecosystem. In the past, everyone from Destiny 2 fans to FIFA fans have called the system into question over “gambling” concerns.

But if you were wondering why microtransactions are so popular with game developers despite the backlash, there’s a simple answer: profitability. 

During Activision Blizzard’s Q3 2021 earnings call, the company revealed that they earned a whopping $1.2 billion from just microtransactions in three months. This means that, from July to September 2021, their games pulled in that much money from just downloadable, additional content.

Activision Blizzard pull in $1.2 billion from Warzone and other titles’ microtransactions

As tweeted by CharlieIntel, the company told shareholders of its financial success in Q3 2021. And, according to the replies, people are astounded by the number.

While many wondered how much of that money could be spent on helping Warzone’s hacking problems, others simply focused on just where that money is coming from.

With games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft not providing a ton of new content, Warzone is assumed to be the chief provider.

Warzone microtransactions help Activision reach $1.2 billion in three months?

Warzone Scream Skin Halloween
Warzone’s cosmetics are very popular with fans.

One user responded directly to the backlash and Warzone’s content: “Everyone complains about microtransactions but then they see Ghostface or Rambo or a*shole guy and they need their mom’s credit card.”

It remains unclear exactly what percentage of profits were made from each game, but it’s still an eye-opening number.

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About The Author

Théo is a former writer at Dexerto based in New York and built on competition. Formerly an editor for Bleacher Report and philosophy student at McGill, he fell in love with Overwatch and Call of Duty — leading him to focus on esports for Dex.