Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard joins the S&P 500

Activision Blizzard, the publisher of video games from World of Warcraft to Call of Duty, announced today that will soon join the S&P 500 stock market index.

The addition of the video game company to the S&P 500 is a milestone that will likely raise awareness of the company among investors, as the index of 500 publicly traded American companies is a bellwether for the overall economy. It joins two other S&P companies involved with gaming: Microsoft and giant publisher EA.

Starting after the close of normal trading on Friday, Activision Blizzard will replace Pall in a transaction that is pending final approvals. Activision Blizzard will be part of the home entertainment software sub-industry index.

“Joining the S&P 500 is a reflection of our talented teams’ passion, hard work and commitment to excellence. We believe we are well-positioned for long-term growth, and we look forward to continuing to deliver value to our audiences and investors,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, in a statement.