Activision expects 2020 to set new earnings record of $7.675 billion

Activision-Blizzard expects 2020 to be its best-earning year of all time due to Warzone, Black Ops Cold War, and WoW Shadowlands.

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Activision forecasts that 2020 will beat the $7.5 billion all-time record highs set in 2018.

Activision expects 2020 to set new earnings record of $7.675 billion 64

COVID-19 is a boon for publishers like Activision-Blizzard who push lots of live services. Activision's business model is accelerating strongly thanks to stay-at-home lockdowns: Spending in Warzone and Modern Warfare is up, pushing Activision segment earnings up by 270% in Q3 to $773 million. Operating income is now at its highest point in the last 10 years. Revenues were up 29% to $1.954 billion. 90% of Activision-Blizzard's Q3 earnings were from digital, which is higher than any other publisher on the market today. To say Activision is well-suited to weather COVID-19 would be an understatement.

Activision expects 2020 to set new earnings record of $7.675 billion 54

Things are going so good for the publisher that 2020 should be its best year ever. Activision-Blizzard expects to earn a record $7.675 billion in revenues in 2020, up $175 million from the previous records set in 2018. Right now, 2020 has the best operating income in the last 10 years, and has the second best net income as well.

Activision still has a whole other quarter to rake in earnings--a Q4 period that includes Black Ops Cold War and Shadowlands, the former of which is expected to significantly boost overall earnings.

Activision expects 2020 to set new earnings record of $7.675 billion 2

In this case, Activision-Blizzard's lack of releases is actually a big asset. The less games are in development, the less impact COVID-19 had on work-from-home measures; expenses decrease, and a smaller games pool means games are less likely to be delayed.

The company's string of consistent live games is enough to keep earnings going for whole quarters without any major frontline releases. This is especially true for Warzone and Modern Warfare, but we'll see even more engagement once Black Ops is released.

Activision expects 2020 to set new earnings record of $7.675 billion 1
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Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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