Skip to main content
The homepageVoxVox logo
The homepageVoxVox logo

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

You can thank Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick for the internet’s addiction to gaming

Kotick is No. 89 on the Recode 100.

by Meghann Farnsworth
Scott Olson / Getty

You can thank Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick for the internet’s addiction to gaming

Kotick is No. 89 on the Recode 100.

by Meghann Farnsworth
Part Of
The Recode 100
see all

You have Bobby Kotick to thank for your kid’s (and, let’s be honest, maybe your) addiction to video games. That’s because Kotick is the CEO of Activision Blizzard, the Fortune 500 company that produces the insanely popular games Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Destiny, StarCraft and Overwatch.

Basically everything the internet is obsessed with right now.

Activision Blizzard has reported a record revenue of $6.6 billion, up 42 percent from the year before.

The company says it has 500 million users across the globe, making it the largest game network in the world.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

More In The Recode 100

See all
The Terrible 10: Those who might have made the Recode 100 if they weren’t quite so awfulThe Terrible 10: Those who might have made the Recode 100 if they weren’t quite so awful
No one quite polices — and penalizes — tech giants like Europe’s watchdog Margrethe VestagerNo one quite polices — and penalizes — tech giants like Europe’s watchdog Margrethe Vestager
The cult of Elon Musk lives onThe cult of Elon Musk lives on

Most Popular

  1. Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
  2. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword
  3. The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
  4. The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained
  5. What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout

More in Technology

Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel