Microsoft agrees to buy Minecraft maker Mojang for eye-watering $2.5bn

Microsoft is to buy the maker of the popular game Minecraft for $2.5 billion. The technology giant said it will buy Stockholm-based games firm Mojang. Minecraft, which lets users build in and explore a virtual world, has been downloaded 100 million times on PC alone since its launch in 2009. It is the most popular online game on Xbox, and the top paid app for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system in the U.S.

Gaming is a top activity spanning devices, from PCs and consoles to tablets and mobile, with billions of hours spent each year.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

The deal is expected to close in late 2014. Microsoft expects the acquisition to be break-even in fiscal 2015. Microsoft is primarily known for business software like Word and Outlook, but this acquisition will help Microsoft expand its gaming division which also includes game franchises such as the Halo shooter game and Forza racing game. Microsoft said it plans to continue to make Minecraft available across all the platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation.

Minecraft is more than a great game franchise – it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft.

Satya Nadella

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