Hell no

The Bottom Line

People think that getting bought by a massive company (Microsoft) means endless funding and huge improvements. But in practice, it means:

Less autonomy
More oversight
Pressure to produce profit
Restrained communication
Conservative decisions
Possibly budget ceilings that didn’t exist before

So when players wonder why things aren’t improving—or why long-standing issues go untouched—this is the real reason. The studio isn’t free to operate like an indie MMO team anymore. They’re answering to a corporation whose size and structure naturally prioritize stability and profit over innovation and player-driven development.

The DAoC Era Already Taught Us This Lesson. When EA bought Dark Age of Camelot, everyone thought:
“Finally, we’ll get more money to improve the game!”

But what happened?
Budgets tightened. Development slowed. Priorities shifted to profits over players.
DAoC didn’t get the rescue people expected—and that same pattern is repeating today across multiple studios.

Acquisitions Aren’t About Creativity; They’re About Profit

People forget this: when a major corporation buys a studio, they’re not doing it to make a better game—they’re doing it to make a better financial portfolio.
That means:
More restrictions
More monetization
Less risk-taking
Less transparency
Focus on safe, proven content

And yes, less willingness to pour money into things that don’t directly generate instant revenue

My enthusiasm was sunk by U46.