Bobby Kotick Reflects on Bizarre Creations Acquisition as a Costly Mistake

The former Activision CEO called the $80 million purchase of the Liverpool-based studio a violation of company principles.

Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, described the 2007 acquisition of Bizarre Creations as a 'bad acquisition' and an 'expensive lesson.'
Bizarre Creations, best known for its Project Gotham Racing series, was purchased for $67.4 million with an additional $40 million contingent on performance benchmarks.
The studio, based in Liverpool, was closed by Activision in 2011 after releasing titles like Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone under its ownership.
Kotick admitted that the acquisition violated Activision's principles, stating it was written off within two years and failed to deliver the expected value.
Several Bizarre Creations alumni later founded Lucid Games, which continues to work on notable projects, including Sea of Thieves support and other titles.