U.K. regulators finally approve Microsoft’s $68.7B acquisition of Activision Blizzard
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The United Kingdom’s antitrust agency has finally given preliminary approval to Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The Competition and Markets Authority issued a statement today saying it has give preliminary approval. The next step is for the CMA to gather third-party feedback, after which the CMA will reach a final decision. That means the merger is all but a done deal, after a regulatory process that involved an antitrust trial in the U.S. The companies originally proposed the merger in January 2022.
In a statement, Activision Blizzard said, “The CMA’s preliminary approval is great news for our future with Microsoft. We’re pleased the CMA has responded positively to the solutions Microsoft has proposed, and we look forward to working with Microsoft toward completing the regulatory review process.”
While other agencies around the world approved the deal, the CMA was concerned about the potential for Microsoft to dominate the cloud-gaming market. Today, the CMA said, “The sale of Activision’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft substantially addresses previous concerns and opens the door to the deal being cleared, the CMA said today.”
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