3 Ways ‘Call of Duty’ is Changing the Game for Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) has benefited from an unusually positive operating environment as stay-at-home orders swept the globe in March and put a premium on digital entertainment options.

That situation helped the video game publisher trounce earnings expectations in the fiscal first quarter, with engagement and spending metrics swelling in franchises like Candy Crush and World of Warcraft. But the success Activision has seen in its Call of Duty brand has been even more important to the business because it points to a long runway for growth ahead in new platforms, geographies, and selling models.

Let's take a closer look.