Microsoft Restructures Planned Activision-Blizzard Deal by Selling ABK Cloud Gaming Rights to Ubisoft

wccftech.com:

Microsoft has today announced that it's restructuring its planned Activision-Blizzard acquisition by selling cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft.

The news was announced by Microsoft's Brad Smith just now, and published on the official Microsoft blog. Without a doubt, this restructuring of the proposed deal is to appease the UK CMA.  According to Microsoft's Vice Chair and President, this deal will transfer the cloud streaming rights for all Activision Blizzard titles released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft. Part of the deal is that Activision Blizzard games cannot be exclusive to Xbox Cloud Gaming and will be on other consoles. "Under the restructured transaction, Microsoft will not be in a position either to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service—Xbox Cloud Gaming – or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services", the blog post from Microsoft reads.

As mentioned by Brad Smith on Twitter, the restructured proposal has also been submitted to the CMA. "Today we submitted a restructured proposal to the CMA for approval of our Activision Blizzard acquisition under UK law", the executive wrote on Twitter. "This new proposal also honors our prior commercial and regulatory commitments."

Today we submitted a restructured proposal to the CMA for approval of our Activision Blizzard acquisition under UK law. This new proposal also honors our prior commercial and regulatory commitments. Read more here: https://t.co/t0UBcouTP9

— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) August 22, 2023

Following Microsoft's renewed submission, the CMA has announced opening a new phase 1 investigation into the new proposed Microsoft/Activision-Blizzard megadeal. CMA's Chief Executive Sarah