Skip to main content

Activision Blizzard reportedly buys most of Major League Gaming’s assets for $46 million

report activision blizzard acquires most of major league gamings assets for 46 million mlg logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Major League Gaming, an eSports competition and content platform, is starting of 2016 as a wholly different entity, one that’s mostly owned by Activision Blizzard, the gaming company behind franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft. According to a report, Activision Blizzard has acquired the majority of MLG’s assets for $46 million.

The asset purchase agreement was approved by MLG’s board of directors on December 21, according to eSports Observer. A letter was sent to stockholders the next day informing of the transaction, which took place without a stockholders’ meeting.

MLG has also appointed CFO Greg Chisholm as its new CEO, replacing Sundance DiGiovanni.

This report comes after a difficult year for MLG, which filed for multiple debt financing rounds in 2015, according to eSports Observer.

In October, Activision Blizzard named former CEO of ESPN and NFL Network Steve Bornstein as the chairman of its new eSports division. Mike Sepso, who co-founded MLG with DiGiovanni, was named the division’s senior vice president.

The sale of MLG’s assets to Activision Blizzard isn’t a complete surprise. In October, Yahoo was reportedly in talks to purchase MLG, notes GameSpot.

The agreement with Activision Blizzard won’t affect the upcoming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship in March, MLG executive vice president Adam Apicella told IGN.

Editors' Recommendations

Jason Hahn
Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…
League of Legends 2020 World Championship to push through in China amid COVID-19
league of legends 2020 world championship china lux ezreal lee sin teemo leona

Riot Games is pushing through with the 2020 World Championship for League of Legends, despite safety concerns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The global health crisis has affected the video game industry in the form of delayed releases such as The Last of Us Part II and canceled events such as E3 2020. However, it appears that Riot Games will not allow the coronavirus to affect its plans for League of Legends' Worlds 2020.

Read more
League of Legends adds branded arena banners to e-sports matches
League of Legends customizable banners

Some familiar brands will begin making an appearance during League of Legends matches.

Developer Riot Games announced it will add customized arena banners in League of Legends that will allow brands to advertise during professional matches of the popular multiplayer online battle arena game. The banners will mimic the ads seen at traditional sporting events.

Read more
Volgarr the Viking 2 will take you back to your Ghosts ‘n Goblins days
A viking slashes a tree in Volgarr the Viking 2.

Developer Digital Eclipse is working on a surprising project: Volgarr the Viking 2. The 2D retro sequel will launch on August 6 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The news is an out of left field reveal. The first Volgarr the Viking game released in 2013 and was made as an ode to 1080s classics like Ghosts 'n Goblins. Despite being a small release, it sold over 1 million copies over the past decade. As revealed during today's Guerrilla Collective stream, the series is coming back with a new sequel by Digital Eclipse, the team behind this year's Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.

Read more