Bobby Kotick reacts to UK’s Microsoft deal block: ‘This is far from the final word’
videogameschronicle.comActivision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has reacted to Wednesday’s news that the UK’s regulator has prevented its sale to Microsoft, and insisted “it is far from the final word on this deal”.
After months of investigation, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) became the first of the three major global regulators to publish its final report on the $69 billion deal on Wednesday.
It said it had prevented the deal over concerns it would “alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come.”
Microsoft has confirmed it will appeal the CMA’s decision.
In a statement published shortly after the decision, Bobby Kotick said work on an appeal had already begun and claimed the company was confident in its case “because the facts are on our side”.
“Today, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a regulatory agency in the UK, decided not to approve our merger with Microsoft. This isn’t the news we wanted – but it is far from the final word on this deal,” he wrote.
“Alongside Microsoft, we can and will contest this decision, and we’ve already begun the work to appeal to the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal. We’re confident in our case because the facts are on our side: this deal is good for competition.”
He continued: “The UK hopes to grow its leadership position in technology, and a combined Microsoft-Activision would accomplish exactly that. At a time when the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence are thriving, we know the UK market would benefit from Microsoft’s bench strength in both domains, as well as our ability to put those technologies to use immediately.
“By contrast, if the CMA’s decision holds, it would stifle
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