Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business	Description of Business Activision Blizzard, Inc. ("Activision Blizzard") is a leading global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment. The terms "Activision Blizzard," the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" are used to refer collectively to Activision Blizzard, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We currently offer games for video game consoles, personal computers ("PC"), and handheld, mobile and tablet devices. We maintain significant operations in the United States ("U.S."), Canada, the United Kingdom ("U.K."), France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea and China. The King Acquisition On November 2, 2015, we and King Digital Entertainment plc, a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world incorporated under the laws of Ireland (“King”), entered into a Transaction Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) under the terms of which we would acquire King (the “King Acquisition”) and King would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. On February 23, 2016 we completed the King Acquisition as further described in Note 24 below. As the closing of the King Acquisition occurred subsequent to December 31, 2015, our financial results as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015 do not contain the results of King. The Business Combination and Share Repurchase Activision Blizzard is the result of the 2008 business combination ("Business Combination") by and among Activision, Inc., Sego Merger Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc., Vivendi S.A. ("Vivendi"), VGAC LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi, and Vivendi Games, Inc. ("Vivendi Games"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of VGAC LLC. As a result of the consummation of the Business Combination, Activision, Inc. was renamed Activision Blizzard, Inc. and Vivendi became a majority shareholder of Activision. The common stock of Activision Blizzard is traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol "ATVI." On October 11, 2013, we repurchased approximately 429 million shares of our common stock, pursuant to a stock purchase agreement (the "Stock Purchase Agreement") we entered into with Vivendi and ASAC II LP ("ASAC"), an exempted limited partnership established under the laws of the Cayman Islands, acting by its general partner, ASAC II LLC. Pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, we acquired all of the capital stock of Amber Holding Subsidiary Co., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi ("New VH"), which was the direct owner of approximately 429 million shares of our common stock, for a cash payment of $5.83 billion, or $13.60 per share, before taking into account the benefit to the Company of certain tax attributes of New VH assumed in the transaction (collectively, the "Purchase Transaction"). Refer to Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the financing of the Purchase Transaction Immediately following the completion of the Purchase Transaction, ASAC purchased from Vivendi 172 million shares of Activision Blizzard's common stock, pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement, for a cash payment of $2.34 billion, or $13.60 per share (the "Private Sale"). Robert A. Kotick, our Chief Executive Officer, and Brian G. Kelly, Chairman of our Board of Directors, are affiliates of ASAC II LLC. On May 28, 2014, Vivendi sold approximately 41 million shares, or approximately 50% of its then-current holdings, of our common stock in a registered public offering. Vivendi received proceeds of approximately $850 million from that sale; we did not receive any proceeds. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately 734 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding. At that date, (i) Vivendi held 41 million shares, or approximately 6% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, (ii) ASAC held 172 million shares, or approximately 23% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and (iii) our other stockholders held approximately 71% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. On January 13, 2016, Vivendi sold all of their remaining shares of our common stock. We did not receive any proceeds. Based upon our organizational structure, we conduct our business through two reportable operating segments, Activision Publishing, Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Previously, we reported “Distribution” as a reportable segment. In the current period, this was no longer deemed a separate reportable segment and is included in “Other”, along with our recently announced media networks and film and television studio businesses. (i) Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision Publishing, Inc. ("Activision") is a leading international developer and publisher of interactive software products and content. Activision delivers content to a broad range of gamers, ranging from children to adults, and from core gamers to mass-market consumers to "value" buyers seeking budget-priced software, in a variety of geographies. Activision develops games based on internally-developed properties, including games in the Call of Duty® and Skylanders® franchises, and to a lesser extent, based on licensed intellectual properties. Additionally, we have established a long-term alliance with Bungie to publish its game universe, Destiny®. Activision sells games through both retail and digital online channels. Activision currently offers games that operate on the Microsoft Corporation ("Microsoft") Xbox One ("Xbox One") and Xbox 360 ("Xbox 360"), Nintendo Co. Ltd. ("Nintendo") Wii U ("Wii U") and Wii ("Wii"), and Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. ("Sony") PlayStation 4 ("PS4") and PlayStation 3 ("PS3") console systems (Xbox One, Wii U, and PS4 are collectively referred to as "next-generation"; Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 are collectively referred to as "prior-generation"); the PC; the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Dual Screen, and Sony PlayStation Vita handheld game systems; and mobile and tablet devices. (ii) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ("Blizzard") is a leader in online PC gaming, including the subscription-based massively multi-player online role-playing game ("MMORPG") category in terms of both subscriber base and revenues generated through its World of Warcraft® franchise. Blizzard also develops, markets, and sells role-playing action and strategy games for the PC, console, mobile and tablet platforms, including games in the multiple-award winning Diablo®, StarCraft®, Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™ and Heroes of the Storm™ franchises. In addition, Blizzard maintains a proprietary online gaming service, Battle.net®, which facilitates the creation of user-generated content, digital distribution and online social connectivity across all Blizzard games. Blizzard distributes its products and generates revenues worldwide through various means, including: subscriptions; sales of prepaid subscription cards; in-game purchases and services; retail sales of physical "boxed" products; online download sales of PC products; purchases and downloads via third-party console, mobile and tablet platforms; and licensing of software to third-party or related party companies that distribute Blizzard products. (iii) Other We also engage in other business opportunities including: •The Activision Blizzard Media Networks ("Media Networks") business, announced in 2015 which builds on our efforts in competitive gaming and the growing eSports industry; •The Activision Blizzard Studios ("Studios") business, announced in 2015 which is devoted to creating original film and television content based on the company's extensive library of iconic and globally-recognized intellectual properties; and •The Activision Blizzard Distribution ("Distribution") business, which consists of operations in Europe that provide warehousing, logistical, and sales distribution services to third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software, our own publishing operations, and manufacturers of interactive entertainment hardware.

Description of Business

Activision Blizzard, Inc. ("Activision Blizzard") is a leading global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment. The terms "Activision Blizzard," the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" are used to refer collectively to Activision Blizzard, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We currently offer games for video game consoles, personal computers ("PC"), and handheld, mobile and tablet devices. We maintain significant operations in the United States ("U.S."), Canada, the United Kingdom ("U.K."), France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea and China.

The King Acquisition

On November 2, 2015, we and King Digital Entertainment plc, a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world incorporated under the laws of Ireland (“King”), entered into a Transaction Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) under the terms of which we would acquire King (the “King Acquisition”) and King would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. On February 23, 2016 we completed the King Acquisition as further described in Note 24 below.

As the closing of the King Acquisition occurred subsequent to December 31, 2015, our financial results as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015 do not contain the results of King.

The Business Combination and Share Repurchase

Activision Blizzard is the result of the 2008 business combination ("Business Combination") by and among Activision, Inc., Sego Merger Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc., Vivendi S.A. ("Vivendi"), VGAC LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi, and Vivendi Games, Inc. ("Vivendi Games"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of VGAC LLC. As a result of the consummation of the Business Combination, Activision, Inc. was renamed Activision Blizzard, Inc. and Vivendi became a majority shareholder of Activision. The common stock of Activision Blizzard is traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol "ATVI."

On October 11, 2013, we repurchased approximately 429 million shares of our common stock, pursuant to a stock purchase agreement (the "Stock Purchase Agreement") we entered into with Vivendi and ASAC II LP ("ASAC"), an exempted limited partnership established under the laws of the Cayman Islands, acting by its general partner, ASAC II LLC. Pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, we acquired all of the capital stock of Amber Holding Subsidiary Co., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi ("New VH"), which was the direct owner of approximately 429 million shares of our common stock, for a cash payment of $5.83 billion, or $13.60 per share, before taking into account the benefit to the Company of certain tax attributes of New VH assumed in the transaction (collectively, the "Purchase Transaction"). Refer to Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the financing of the Purchase Transaction

Immediately following the completion of the Purchase Transaction, ASAC purchased from Vivendi 172 million shares of Activision Blizzard's common stock, pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement, for a cash payment of $2.34 billion, or $13.60 per share (the "Private Sale"). Robert A. Kotick, our Chief Executive Officer, and Brian G. Kelly, Chairman of our Board of Directors, are affiliates of ASAC II LLC.

On May 28, 2014, Vivendi sold approximately 41 million shares, or approximately 50% of its then-current holdings, of our common stock in a registered public offering. Vivendi received proceeds of approximately $850 million from that sale; we did not receive any proceeds.

As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately 734 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding. At that date, (i) Vivendi held 41 million shares, or approximately 6% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, (ii) ASAC held 172 million shares, or approximately 23% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and (iii) our other stockholders held approximately 71% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

On January 13, 2016, Vivendi sold all of their remaining shares of our common stock. We did not receive any proceeds.

Based upon our organizational structure, we conduct our business through two reportable operating segments, Activision Publishing, Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Previously, we reported “Distribution” as a reportable segment. In the current period, this was no longer deemed a separate reportable segment and is included in “Other”, along with our recently announced media networks and film and television studio businesses.

(i) Activision Publishing, Inc.

Activision Publishing, Inc. ("Activision") is a leading international developer and publisher of interactive software products and content. Activision delivers content to a broad range of gamers, ranging from children to adults, and from core gamers to mass-market consumers to "value" buyers seeking budget-priced software, in a variety of geographies. Activision develops games based on internally-developed properties, including games in the Call of Duty® and Skylanders® franchises, and to a lesser extent, based on licensed intellectual properties. Additionally, we have established a long-term alliance with Bungie to publish its game universe, Destiny®. Activision sells games through both retail and digital online channels. Activision currently offers games that operate on the Microsoft Corporation ("Microsoft") Xbox One ("Xbox One") and Xbox 360 ("Xbox 360"), Nintendo Co. Ltd. ("Nintendo") Wii U ("Wii U") and Wii ("Wii"), and Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. ("Sony") PlayStation 4 ("PS4") and PlayStation 3 ("PS3") console systems (Xbox One, Wii U, and PS4 are collectively referred to as "next-generation"; Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 are collectively referred to as "prior-generation"); the PC; the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Dual Screen, and Sony PlayStation Vita handheld game systems; and mobile and tablet devices.

(ii) Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ("Blizzard") is a leader in online PC gaming, including the subscription-based massively multi-player online role-playing game ("MMORPG") category in terms of both subscriber base and revenues generated through its World of Warcraft® franchise. Blizzard also develops, markets, and sells role-playing action and strategy games for the PC, console, mobile and tablet platforms, including games in the multiple-award winning Diablo®, StarCraft®, Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™ and Heroes of the Storm™ franchises. In addition, Blizzard maintains a proprietary online gaming service, Battle.net®, which facilitates the creation of user-generated content, digital distribution and online social connectivity across all Blizzard games. Blizzard distributes its products and generates revenues worldwide through various means, including: subscriptions; sales of prepaid subscription cards; in-game purchases and services; retail sales of physical "boxed" products; online download sales of PC products; purchases and downloads via third-party console, mobile and tablet platforms; and licensing of software to third-party or related party companies that distribute Blizzard products.

(iii) Other

We also engage in other business opportunities including:

•The Activision Blizzard Media Networks ("Media Networks") business, announced in 2015 which builds on our efforts in competitive gaming and the growing eSports industry;

•The Activision Blizzard Studios ("Studios") business, announced in 2015 which is devoted to creating original film and television content based on the company's extensive library of iconic and globally-recognized intellectual properties; and

•The Activision Blizzard Distribution ("Distribution") business, which consists of operations in Europe that provide warehousing, logistical, and sales distribution services to third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software, our own publishing operations, and manufacturers of interactive entertainment hardware.