Phil Spencer claims scrutiny of Xbox’s Activision deal is ‘fair and warranted’
Microsoft’s head of gaming has commented on the ongoing investigations into its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, stating that he believes heavy scrutiny from regulators is “fair” and “warranted”.
Regulators around the world are currently holding a magnifying glass to the proposed deal, with the UK’s CMA notably expanding its investigation and voicing concerns that it could harm PlayStation and other game subscription services – something which Microsoft has dismissed.
The CMA has officially expanded its investigation to a second phase, while the European competition watchdog has set its own provisional deadline of November 8 to clear the deal or to choose to enter a second phase. The US’s FTC is expected to rule by later November.
Speaking during the Wall Street Journal Tech Live event this week, Xbox head Phil Spencer said he believed scrutiny around such a significant deal was warranted and revealed that he had been meeting regularly with regulators around the world.
“It might be surprising to people, but I’m not an expert on doing 70 billion dollar deals,” he said. “But I do know that we’re very focused on getting approval in the major jurisdictions, and I’m spending a lot of time in Brussels, London and with the FTC here in the US.
“I would say the discussions have been very fair and honest. It is a big acquisition, there’s no doubt. Microsoft in its role in the tech industry, is a large tech company, and I do think the discussion around an acquisition of this size is warranted, and I’ve appreciated the time to go spend.”
He added: “We’re really focused on getting the deal approved in the markets – I’m confident in that. I was just in London last week, continue to have discussions with all the regulatory
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