No, Blizzard does not own Riot
While both are major players in PC and console gaming, Blizzard Entertainment and Riot Games have fully independent ownership and do not share any corporate ties. Riot is majority-owned by Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent, while Blizzard is a subsidiary of American video game holding company Activision Blizzard.
Riot Games acquired by Tencent in 2011
Riot was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill, who sought to develop a new type of competitive multiplayer game. Their debut title League of Legends, released in 2009, soon became one of the most popular PC games globally amassing over 100 million monthly active users.
Impressed by the game‘s rampant growth and burgeoning esports scene, Chinese company Tencent paid $400 million in 2011 to acquire a 93% stake in Riot Games. This gave them controlling interest, but Riot has maintained independence in developing and publishing games.
| Year | Major Event |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Riot Games founded |
| 2009 | League of Legends launched |
| 2011 | Tencent acquires 93% stake for $400 million |
| 2022 | Tencent ownership at 98%, Riot valued over $20 billion |
Tencent‘s faith has paid off, as Riot is now worth over $20 billion and has expanded into new titles like tactical shooter VALORANT, card game Legends of Runeterra, and fighting game Project L.
Blizzard merged into Activision Blizzard in 2008
Blizzard was founded in 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three UCLA graduates. After developing games like Lost Vikings and Rock n‘ Roll Racing, the company renamed itself to Blizzard Entertainment in 1994.
The studio pioneered the real-time strategy genre with the Warcraft and StarCraft series. In 2004, their massively multiplayer online RPG World of Warcraft took the gaming world by storm.
Activision, a leading game publisher, announced plans in 2007 to merge with Vivendi Games, which owned Blizzard at the time. The deal closed in 2008 valuing the combined entity, Activision Blizzard, at over $18 billion.
| Year | Major Event |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Blizzard founded as Silicon & Synapse |
| 1994 | Studio rebranded as Blizzard Entertainment |
| 2004 | Release smash hit World of Warcraft |
| 2008 | Vivendi Games and Activision merge |
| 2022 | Microsoft announces $68.7B acquisition deal |
While Blizzard has operational autonomy, Activision Blizzard holds the subsidiary and IP assets outright. And Microsoft has a pending $68.7 billion deal to take over Activision Blizzard, which would make Blizzard a Microsoft studio.
Battle for multi-billion dollar game industry revenue
As two of the most acclaimed video game makers worldwide, Blizzard and Riot compete intensely for audience attention in the $197 billion gaming market.
Activision Blizzard reported $8.8 billion in revenue in 2022, making it one of the largest gaming companies globally. King‘s mobile games bring in copious in-app purchase revenue, while Call of Duty and World of Warcraft retain loyal fan bases.
| Company | 2022 Revenue | Monthly Active Users | Top Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activision Blizzard | $8.8 billion | 361 million | Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft |
| Riot Games | $2.3 billion* | 180 million+ | League of Legends, VALORANT, Legends of Runeterra |
* Private company, estimated revenue
Riot is no slouch either, with League of Legends alone generating over $2 billion annually. Their titles also have thriving esports ecosystems, led by the massively popular League of Legends World Championship events.
Both companies are investing heavily in new intellectual property and platforms to build their content libraries and expand into TV/movie media.
And Tencent continues pouring resources into Riot to directly tackle Activision Blizzard‘s dominance. But Microsoft also plans to boost Blizzard franchises across console, PC, and mobile after finalizing its acquisition bid.
The future of gaming industry heavyweights
With Activision Blizzard soon to become a Microsoft property and Tencent‘s ongoing support elevating Riot‘s capabilities, fans can expect blockbuster new game releases from these bitter rivals over the next decade.
Call of Duty battling League of Legends and Overwatch facing off against VALORANT illustrate the intense competition. And these multi-billion dollar studios will continue striving to one up each other across eSports, streaming, mobile platforms, and emerging technologies like AR/VR.
Both may share an independent spirit and commitment to gaming innovation, but make no mistake – Blizzard and Riot desperately want to dethrone the other as king of this explosive growth industry.
