Activision Blizzard might be late to the microtransactions party, but it hasn't stopped the controversial publisher from posting record numbers. Case in point, Activision Blizzard recently set a new record after pulling in $5.1 billion from microtransactions in 2021.
It's hard to count just how many times we've mentioned how awful 2021 was for Activision Blizzard. However, despite the tumultuous situation in the company, players still didn't hesitate to throw money at Activision Blizzard's games. After releasing its fourth-quarter earnings and 2021 financial results, Activision Blizzard just revealed that its microtransaction numbers went up despite a dip in net revenues.
According to the numbers, Activision Blizzard's Q4 net revenues saw a 10% year-over-year decline at $2.16 billion. But, because of microtransactions, Activision still ended the 2021 fiscal year with a record-setting $8.8 billion in revenue.
Unlike in previous years where Activision Blizzard relied on both proven and newer titles to pull in the numbers, 2021 was different. 2021 was the fifth straight year that Blizzard hadn't released a new game, forcing the publisher to rely mostly on microtransactions. Thankfully, the much-maligned business model pulled through as Activision Blizzard posted a $5.1 billion net for in-game sales, which includes everything from DLC purchases to World of Warcraft subscriptions as well as transactions that involve cosmetic items and loot boxes for anything under Activision Blizzard's umbrella.