Microsoft expects the UK to oppose its $69 billion Activision buyout, report claims
Microsoft is expecting the United Kingdom to put the brakes on its intended buyout of Activision Blizzard according to a new report.
The Microsoft buyout of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion has been in the news for months, with various governmental agencies around the world trying to decide whether the merger would be anti-competitive. Now, a new report says that Microsoft itself expects one of those agencies to oppose it.
That report by the New York Times claims that «Microsoft’s legal team also expects the antitrust authority in Britain to oppose the transaction,» adding that it «believes the European Commission is open to potential remedies.»
The New York Times says it's basing that on information gleaned from four people who are briefed on what's going on but aren't authorised to share those details publicly. However, the news doesn't deviate too far from what was previously expected.
The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had already sued Microsoft over the deal in an attempt, it's believed, to put pressure on its international counterparts. It was suggested that the FTC's European counterparts were ready to do a deal with Microsoft, something the FTC knew would weaken its own arguments that the buyout shouldn't be allowed.
The overarching argument is that Microsoft's buyout of Activision Blizzard would give it complete control over some of the biggest gaming franchises on the planet, including the Call of Duty games. Some worry that the franchise would become an Xbox-exclusive one.
But Microsoft has already sought to assuage concerns by offering to sign 10-year agreements with Nintendo and Sony that would ensure the games remain on their respective platforms for at least a decade.
That, to date, hasn't
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