Microsoft and Activision Will Appeal CMA Decision To Get Their Deal Approved

gameranx.com:

Microsoft and Activision have responded to the CMA decision to block their deal, swearing to appeal and do everything they can to get the deal to push through.

Microsoft President Brad Smith shared this message on Twitter:

“We remain fully committed to this acquisition and will appeal. The CMA’s decision rejects a pragmatic path to address competition concerns and discourages technology innovation and investment in the United Kingdom.

We have already signed contracts to make Activision Blizzard’s popular games available on 150 million more devices, and we remain committed to reinforcing these agreements through regulatory remedies.

We’re especially disappointed that after lengthy deliberations, this decision appears to reflect a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works.”

Lulu Cheng Meservey, who is Chief Communications Officer of Activision Blizzard, shared this statement on Twitter:

“The CMA’s report today is a major setback for the UK’s ambitions to be a tech hub, and we will work with Microsoft to reverse it on appeal.

This report is also a disservice to UK citizens, who face increasingly dire economic prospects, and we will need to reassess our growth strategy in the UK.

Global innovators large and small will take note that – despite all its rhetoric – the UK is closed for business.”

Bobby Kotick also shared a letter for Activision Blizzard employees and made it public. We will reproduce the contents of the letter below, but he has softer words to the employees about the deal.

To sum Kotick’s message, “This isn’t the news we wanted – but it is far from the final word on this deal.”

Kotick was perhaps mindful of his UK employees when he reiterated the company’s hopes