This is a list of Microsoft Gaming video game studios, including development studios, support studios, and satellite studios. Microsoft Gaming is an American video game company headquartered in Redmond, Washington, US, founded on January 18, 2022. After several acquisitions, Microsoft Gaming has become one of the largest video game companies, and it has one of the largest in-house development team, with more than 20,100 employees working in over 30 studios in 17 countries as of February 2024.[1][2] The three subsidiaries consist of: Xbox Game Studios, ZeniMax Media, and Activision Blizzard. It owns 5 video game publishing labels, including Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King.
Microsoft Gaming opened and acquired studios in 17 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, France, Spain, Mexico, China, Japan, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Hungary, Taiwan, South Korea and Poland.
Studios
Former studios
- Alpha Dog Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia - closed in May 2024.[49][50]
- Arkane Austin in Austin, Texas - closed in May 2024.[51][50]
- Roundhouse Studios in Madison, Wisconsin - merged with Zenimax Online Studios in May 2024.[50]
- The Initiative in Santa Monica, California - closed in July 2025.[52]
- Tango Gameworks in Shibaura, Tokyo - closed in June 2024[53] and sold to Krafton in August 2024.[54][27]
- Toys for Bob in Novato, California - spun off from Activision in February 2024.[55]
See also
References
- Evgeny Obedkov. 40 studios to rule them all: inside Microsoft Gaming divisions post-Activision Blizzard deal Game World Observer, 2023-10-20, retrieved 2023-11-20^
- Andrew Webster. Blizzard cancels survival game following layoffs The Verge, 2024-01-25, retrieved 2024-01-25^
- Activision STUDIOS & LOCATIONS^
- Activision Establishes Development Foothold in Quebec With Acquisition of Beenox Activision Blizzard, May 25, 2005, retrieved 30 July 2019^
- Danielle Partis. Beenox to open new studio in Montreal GamesIndustry.biz, 2022-03-29, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Location careers.blizzard.com, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Dean Takahashi. Blizzard plans to acquire Spellbreak studio Proletariat to bolster World of Warcraft VentureBeat, 2022-06-29, retrieved 2024-01-22^
- Activision STUDIOS & LOCATIONS^
- Locations^
- Activision has acquired a studio to work on its new Call of Duty mobile game VGC, 2021-10-29, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Microsoft's Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP Windows Central, 2024-05-16, retrieved 2024-05-16^
- The new and mysterious Xbox and Activision studio 'Elsewhere Entertainment' has expanded hiring across into Sweden "to craft a franchise with an enduring legacy" Windows Central, 2024-09-09, retrieved 2025-01-24^
- Vivendi Universal Games Acquires High Moon Studios PR Newswire, retrieved January 5, 2006^
- Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward expands with new Austin studio Venture Beat, October 7, 2021, retrieved October 10, 2021^
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- Ivy Taylor. Infinity Ward to open Polish studio GamesIndustry.biz, 2017-12-18, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Evgeny Obedkov. 40 studios to rule them all: inside Microsoft Gaming divisions post-Activision Blizzard deal Game World Observer, 2023-10-20, retrieved 2023-11-20^
- King Careers. Locations King Careers, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Sledgehammer Games expands studio to new location in Toronto Charlie Intel, 4 May 2021^
- Dean Takahashi. Sledgehammer Games invades the UK with new Call of Duty studio VentureBeat, 2021-10-15, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Shaun Prescott. Call of Duty studio Sledgehammer Games has opened an Australian branch PC Gamer, 2019-09-06, retrieved 2024-02-18^
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- Microsoft buys ZeniMax Media and The Elder Scrolls dev Bethesda for $7.5 billion Game Developer, retrieved 2025-12-28^
- Legal information about Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries under ZeniMax Media Inc. ZeniMax Media, retrieved November 21, 2021^
- Matthew Kato. Bethesda Opens New Studio In Montreal Game Informer, retrieved 2024-02-18^
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- Legal information about Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries under ZeniMax Media Inc. ZeniMax Media, retrieved November 21, 2021^
- Id Software opens German studio August 5, 2015, retrieved March 17, 2017^
- Xbox and Bethesda's Wolfenstein developer MachineGames is expanding with a second studio in Sweden Windows Central, 2023-11-03, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Bethesda Quietly Acquired Nemesys Games Last Year, Now ZeniMax Online Studios Hungary GamingBolt, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Jeff Grubb. Microsoft Game Studios just added five new studios including Ninja Theory GamesBeat, 2018-06-11, retrieved 2025-12-28^
- Mike Minotti. Microsoft adds Double Fine to its Xbox Game Studios stable VentureBeat, 2019-06-09, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Ryan McCaffrey. How Bonnie Ross Is Shaping the Future of Halo – IGN Unfiltered #39 IGN, 2019-02-26, retrieved 2024-04-13^
- Microsoft Studios buys 'Fallout: New Vegas' house Obsidian Engadget, 2018-11-10, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Wasteland 2 Dev Opening New Orleans Office, Will Pay $75,000 Salaries GameSpot, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Microsoft Casual Games microsoftcasualgames.com, retrieved 2024-03-14^
- See full bio. Microsoft to buy Minecraft maker Mojang for $2.5B CNET, retrieved 2025-12-28^
- Tom Phillips. Minecraft maker Mojang has a new name, kind of Eurogamer.net, 2020-05-18, retrieved 2025-02-13^
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- Matthew Field. Microsoft buys UK game studio behind Forza Horizon The Telegraph, 2018-06-11, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- James Batchelor. Playground Games opening second studio for open world game GamesIndustry.biz, 2017-02-07, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- John Bonelli. New Fable Game Now Has 3 Studios Working On It Game Rant, 2024-07-30, retrieved 2024-07-30^
- Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd. Stories, 2002-09-24, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Microsoft buys Gears of War from Epic GameSpot, retrieved 2025-12-28^
- Jonathan M. Gitlin. A trip to Turn 10, the Forza studio merging car culture with games Ars Technica, October 31, 2014, retrieved May 14, 2023^
- Undead Labs to Open up a New Studio in Orlando, State of Decay 3 to Use Unreal Engine 5 GamingBolt, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Mike Minotti. Microsoft acquires State of Decay 2 studio Undead Labs VentureBeat, 2018-06-10, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Jeff Grubb. Microsoft Game Studios just added five new studios including Ninja Theory VentureBeat, 2018-06-10, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Brendan Sinclair. Bethesda acquires Alpha Dog GamesIndustry.biz, 2019-10-24, retrieved 2024-02-18^
- Wesley Yin-Poole. Microsoft Closes Redfall Developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks, and More in Devastating Cuts at Bethesda IGN^
- Legal information about Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries under ZeniMax Media Inc. ZeniMax Media, retrieved November 21, 2021^
- Jez Corden. Microsoft is closing down Xbox studio The Initiative, with Perfect Dark killed as well — joining Everwild and ZeniMax's new IP, and other unannounced projects Windows Central, 2025-07-02, retrieved 2025-07-02^
- Chris Kerr. The Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire Tokyo developer has been shut down by Microsoft Game Developer, 14 June 2024, retrieved 17 July 2024^
- Jez Corden. Former Xbox studio Tango Gameworks and 'Hi-Fi Rush' have been acquired by PUBG's Krafton Inc, saving it from closure Windows Central, Future plc, 11 August 2024, retrieved 2024-08-11^
- Crash Bandicoot 4 developer Toys for Bob is going independent Digital Trends, 2024-02-29, retrieved 2024-02-29^