Founded in 1975, Microsoft has become the biggest name in productivity, home entertainment and business software - from the most used operating systems in the world (DOS and later Windows) to Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, Azure and more.

Microsoft has also become a major contributor to video games software in the PC market since the mid 90's, with publishing rights toBattleTech,Age of Empires,Gears of War andFlight Simulator, among many others. Since 2000, the company has used theMicrosoft Game Studios (today Xbox Game Studios) label for the video games it publishes.

On 13 October 2023, Microsoft acquiredActivision Blizzard after over a year of seeking approval from international institutions, but instead of merging it under the existing Xbox Game Studios label, it was placed alongside that label as part of the new Microsoft Gaming division.

Microsoft entered the home video games console market in 2001 with the Xbox. It was followed by the Xbox 360 in 2005, Xbox One in 2013 and Xbox Series X|S in 2020.

In 2012 Microsoft released their first hybrid tablet called Surface.

Known subsidiaries

Names in italics used to be subsidiaries, but no longer are as they were closed or sold off.

Part of Xbox Game Studios

• ACES Game Studio (acquired in 1995 - closed in 2009)
• Big Park (acquired in 2009 - unknown closure date)
• Bungie (acquired in 2000 - became independent in 2007)
• Carbonated Games
• The Coalition (founded in 2010 - formerly known as Zipline Studios, Microsoft Game Studios Vancouver, and Black Tusk Studios)
• Compulsion Games (acquired in 2018)
• Digital Anvil (acquired in 2000 - closed in 2006)
• Double Fine Productions (acquired in 2019)
• Ensemble Studios (acquired in 2001 - closed in 2009)
• FASA Studio (acquired in 1998 - closed in 2007)
• Good Science Studio (founded in 2009 - unknown closure date)
• Halo Studios (founded in 2007 - formerly known as 343 Industries)
• Hired Gun (known only to have been active around 2007)
• Indie Built (acquired in 1998 as Access Software - sold toTake-Two Interactive in 2004)
• The Initiative (founded in 2018)
• inXile Entertainment (acquired in 2018)
• Lift London (founded in 2012 - inactive since 2019)
• Lionhead Studios (acquired in 2006 - closed in 2016)
• Microsoft Game Studios Japan
• Mojang (acquired in 2014)
• Ninja Theory (acquired in 2018)
• Obsidian Entertainment (acquired in 2018)
• Playground Games (acquired in 2018)
• Press Play (acquired in 2012 - closed in 2016)
• Rare (acquired in 2002)
• Team Dakota
• Turn 10 Studios (founded in 2001)
• Twisted Pixel Games (acquired in 2011 - became independent in 2015)
• Undead Labs (acquired in 2018)
• WingNut Interactive (established in 2006 - sold to WingNut Films in 2009)
• World's Edge (established in 2019)
• ZeniMax Media (acquired in 2020)
  • Alpha Dog Games (acquired in 2020 - closed in 2024)
  • Arkane Studios (Lyon) (acquired in 2020)
    • Arkane Studios (Austin) (acquired in 2020 - closed in 2024)
  • Bethesda Game Studios (acquired in 2020)
    • Bethesda Game Studios Austin (acquired in 2020)
    • Bethesda Game Studios Dallas (acquired in 2020)
    • Bethesda Game Studios Montréal (acquired in 2020)
  • Bethesda Softworks (acquired in 2020)
  • id Software (acquired in 2020)
    • ZeniMax Germany (acquired in 2020)
  • MachineGames (acquired in 2020)
  • Roundhouse Studios (acquired in 2020 - closed in 2024, staff moved to ZeniMax Online Studios)
  • Tango Gameworks (acquired in 2020 - closed in 2024)
  • ZeniMax Asia
  • ZeniMax Online Studios (acquired in 2020)
    • ZeniMax Online Studios Hungary (acquired in 2022 as Nemesys Games)

Part of Activision Blizzard

• Activision Capture Studio
• Activision Publishing
  • Activision Shanghai
  • Beenox
  • DemonWare
  • Digital Legends Entertainment
  • High Moon Studios
  • Infinity Ward
    • Infinity Ward Poland
  • Raven Software
  • Sierra (label)
  • Sledgehammer Games (San Francisco)
    • Sledgehammer Games Melbourne
    • Sledgehammer Games Toronto
    • Sledgehammer Games UK
  • Solid State Studios
  • Toys for Bob
  • Treyarch
• Blizzard Entertainment
  • Blizzard Albany
  • Proletariat
  • unnamed Blizzard studios in Austin, Cork, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Taipei
• King.com Ltd.

Other

• Electric Gravity (acquired in 1996 - state unknown)
• Havok
• Microsoft France
• Microsoft Informática Ltda.
• Microsoft Deutschland GmbH
• Microsoft Press
• Microsoft Research Games
• Microsoft Taiwan Corporation
• Microsoft Ibérica S.R.L.
• Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.
• Microsoft S. de R.L. de C.V.
• Microsoft Foundry Intern Program
• Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios
• Microsoft Innovation Center at Duy Tan University

Microsoft is traded under ticker symbol MSFT.