Microsoft to Acquire Activision, ‘Call of Duty’ Creator for $69 Billion

UK competition regulator greenlights Microsoft’s $69B acquisition of Activision Blizzard, known for ‘Call of Duty’ game development. According to the BBC, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Microsoft – the maker of the Xbox gaming console – could go ahead with the takeover after agreeing to buy Activision without cloud gaming rights. Now, this deal marks the culmination of a near-two-year fight to secure the biggest deal in gaming history.

The BBC reported that Britain’s competition regulator blocked Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition, the biggest gaming deal announced in early 2022. The CMA was concerned that the US computing giant would gain too much control of the new cloud gaming market. However, changes in the deal have since been made. 

Last month, the UK watchdog indicated that a revised deal, including the sale of cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft, addressed their concerns, suggesting approval.

As per The Independent,the CMA said the new deal prevents Microsoft from establishing a dominant position in the UK-cloud-gaming market. It added that it would preserve competitive prices for gamers and make sure consumers get more choices. 

However, the CMA also criticised Microsoft for “dragging out” proceedings during its investigation into the merger. CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell, said, “Businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA.”

“During our initial investigation, Microsoft had the opportunity to restructure,but their persistence with an ineffective package of measures was noted.” Dragging out proceedings in this way only wastes time and money,” Ms Cardell added. 

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