Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick named to the board of post-merger Skydance
Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has been finalized, creating a new media conglomerate called Skydance with an estimated value of $110–111 billion. The merger combines the video game divisions of both companies, including studios such as Avalanche Software, NetherRealm Studios, Rocksteady, TT Games, WB Montreal, and WB Boston alongside Paramount Games Studio.
In a significant executive appointment, Bobby Kotick, the longtime former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has been named to Skydance’s board of directors as an independent director. Kotick led Activision for 32 years before leaving the gaming industry at the end of 2023 following Microsoft’s acquisition of the company. Skydance CEO David Ellison praised Kotick’s three decades of sustained growth at Activision, highlighting his long stewardship over franchises like Call of Duty. Other notable board members include former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The combined video game division of Skydance will inherit a substantial portfolio of titles and franchises produced by its constituent studios, including Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat One, Suicide Squad, LEGO Batman, and Gotham Knights. This represents a major consolidation in the entertainment and gaming industry, bringing together significant media assets and creative talent under one corporate umbrella.