'Call of Duty' maker Activision Blizzard beat quarterly bookings estimates on Wednesday, as it reported results a day earlier to allay concerns about its business after Britain blocked its $69 billion buyout by Microsoft Corp .
Activision said it planned to fully support Microsoft's efforts to appeal the decision, which has dealt an unexpected blow to the biggest-ever deal in gaming over concerns it would hinder competition in cloud gaming.
"We remain confident that our deal with Microsoft benefits competition, consumers and job creation in markets around the world, especially in the UK," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said. After a slow 2022, gaming companies are rebounding this year, helped by the launch of new titles and updated consoles.
Activision reported quarterly bookings of $1.86 billion, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.79 billion, according to Refinitiv. Mobile net bookings for its King division recorded double-digit growth, while pre-sales for its "Diablo IV" were also strong. The game is due for release on June 6.Net income rose to $740 million, or 93 cents per share, from $395 million, or 50 cents per share, a year earlier.
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