Bobby Kotick On Activision Almost Buying Minecraft And Why It Didn't Happen

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Microsoft’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Minecraft in 2014 remains one of the biggest gaming buyouts ever—but according to former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, the company came surprisingly close to owning the franchise first.

Minecraft grew from an indie hit to one of the best-selling games in history.

Speaking on Ari Emanuel’s podcast, Kotick revealed that Activision entered negotiations with Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson and even made a formal offer. “I almost bought it,” Kotick said, recalling a five-day trip to Stockholm to meet Persson during the bidding process. Activision offered $1.5 billion—but the deal quickly became complicated.

According to Kotick, Persson told him he planned to quit immediately after the sale, and that the studio’s entire leadership team would also leave. With Mojang having only about 30 employees at the time, Kotick said Activision wasn’t equipped to take over a company in that state. “We can't run your company,” he recalled thinking.

Shortly afterward, Persson informed Kotick that Microsoft had offered $2.5 billion—far more than Activision was willing to match. Kotick’s response was blunt: “I’ll go airplane shopping with you, but you gotta take that offer.”

“Phil Spencer got the deal done, and Matt Booty did a really great job afterward managing Minecraft as a business.” — Bobby Kotick

Microsoft reportedly worried Mojang’s small team would simply walk out after the acquisition. To keep talent onboard, the company offered employees a retention package of 2 million Swedish Krona each (roughly $300,000 USD) for staying at least six months. Microsoft also guaranteed two years of salary for all staff, even if the Stockholm studio were ever shut down.

The investment paid off: Minecraft continued to grow post-acquisition, becoming one of the top five best-selling games in history with more than 300 million copies sold. Instead of releasing a full sequel, Mojang expanded the universe with major updates and spin-offs like Minecraft Earth, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends, though none matched the original’s cultural impact.

The franchise also expanded into film, with **A Minecraft Movie** releasing in 2025 and earning more than $950 million worldwide. A sequel is scheduled for 2027.

As for Kotick, he exited Activision Blizzard after selling the company to Microsoft in a landmark $75.4 billion deal—bringing Minecraft under Activision anyway, albeit a decade later.

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