The antitrust regulator in the UK has given the green light to Microsoft’s massive $69 billion deal to acquire video game company Activision Blizzard, after the tech giant restructured the deal to allay concerns they had brought to a standstill, and thus paving the way for the conclusion of the contract. In an official statement, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) praised the concessions made by Microsoft under the amended version of the agreement, calling them a change with positive implications for competition. Under the terms of the revised deal, Microsoft has agreed to transfer various cloud streaming rights for Activision Blizzard’s PC and console games to publisher Ubisoft Entertainment. This agreement covers regions outside the European Economic Area and includes both existing titles and those that will be published in the next 15 years. In Europe and the USA the agreement has already received the green light from the authorities.
The regulator has been embroiled in a long and complex dispute with Microsoft over the deal, with the CMA initially blocking the deal in its original form. Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA, took the opportunity to launch a final dig at Microsoft, stating that with this new agreement “we have ensured that Microsoft cannot have too much control over this important and rapidly evolving market. With the expansion of game streaming, this intervention will guarantee consumers more competitive prices, better services and a greater variety of choice.” Cardell also openly criticized Microsoft’s approach during the decision-making process, noting that “the tactics used by Microsoft are not at all the right way to interact with the CMA. They had the option to restructure the deal during our initial investigation, but they continued to insist on measures that, as we clearly told them, would not work. Prolonging procedures in this way is simply a waste of time and financial resources.” On social media platforms, Brad Smith, vice president and president of Microsoft, welcomed the decision, stating: “We have now cleared the final regulatory barrier to close this acquisition, which we believe will result in benefits for both gamers and customers. global gaming industry”.
