Good news for Activision Blizzard: “Diablo 2” is all the rage after launch

Activision Blizzard‘s (NASDAQ: ATVI) remastered version of Diablo 2: resurrected launched on September 23, and it seems to be off to a good start. At 9:56 a.m. EDT on Friday, the game was the fourth most viewed channel on AmazonTwitch’s streaming platform, with 164,000 viewers.
The game was originally released in 2000. The relaunch offers older gamers a lot of nostalgia and a visual upgrade for 4K displays. It costs $ 40 and is available for the first time on PC and all game consoles.
Diablo 2The overwhelming response to Twitch, one of the most popular platforms for people watching video games, is good news amid the recent whirlwind of investigations and complaints against Blizzard’s corporate culture. Importantly, this suggests that gamers’ passion for the company’s games remains healthy, which could make the recent sale of Activision shares a great buying opportunity.
Image source: Getty Images.
A crescendo of novelties
Activision’s share price has fallen 17.4% in the past three months, behind Electronic arts (NASDAQ: EA) and Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO). But slower growth in the industry, after a record year for video game sales in 2020, has caused the stock prices of all three video game companies to decline since the start of the year.
Reception at Diablo 2 bodes well for strong sales of other versions to come in the next few years. Diablo: Immortal is coming to mobile devices soon, which should appeal to millions of new gamers who have never experienced a Diablo title before.
Blizzard is planning these phased outings to warm everyone up for Diablo 4. Its release date is still unknown, but Diablo 4 will feature cutting edge new gameplay for an action role-playing game and is designed to appeal to the die-hard fan base. Blizzard ended the second quarter with 26 million monthly active users, down from the segment’s record of 46 million in the second quarter of 2017.
In total, these Diablo Stocks are an important catalyst for growth. The liberation of Diablo 3 in 2012 contributed to growth in non-GAAP revenue and earnings per share of 11% and 27%, respectively. The remake of Diablo 2 maybe not much to move the needle in 2021, but Diablo 4 should repeat the execution of Diablo 3 when he came out.
Monitoring 2 released in 2022?
In addition, a recent article by Dexerto cited sources inside Activision Blizzard who Monitoring 2 could be released as early as the second quarter of 2022. It should be noted that the original Monitoring the title was released in May 2016, so the timing would certainly suit. The first one Monitoring has been a big hit after its release and has sold over 50 million copies to date.
Keep in mind that during the second quarter earnings call, management said that Monitoring 2 had recently taken an important development milestone. It’s a good sign that things are progressing internally, despite the recent management reshuffle at Blizzard studio.
Activision stock is a great buy
Investors pay a high price when business conditions are right, but when the best companies are scrutinized, it offers an opportunity to get the best value. The recent liquidation brought Activision Blizzard’s price-to-earnings ratio down to 20, which is lower than Take-Two’s P / E of 28 and Electronic Arts’s P / E of 30.
However, I wouldn’t call Activision the cheapest game title, as it still trades at a higher price-to-sell (P / S) ratio of 6.5, compared to Take-Two’s P / S multiple. slightly greater than 5.
Yet the early interest in Diablo 2 points to a potentially lucrative sales channel, as Activision publishes several titles from its major franchises. At five years and beyond, purchasing shares of this premier gaming title at these levels could result in returns well above the average stock market return.
This article represents the opinion of the author, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a premium Motley Fool consulting service. We are heterogeneous! Challenging an investment thesis – even one of our own – helps us all to think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.