Microsoft-Activision Merger Provisionally Approved By The CMA, Final Ruling On October 18

Gaming's biggest deal is arriving at a conclusion.

Story Highlights

  • The UK regulatory authority, CMA, has provisionally approved the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger following the restructured offer.
  • According to the CMA, a final ruling will take place on October 18. Microsoft CEO Brad Smith stated that the company will work towards gaining approval until the deadline.

The $69 billion MicrosoftActivision merger looks set to cross the final wall, as UK regulatory authorities indicated they would support the deal in light of the latest concessions. The CMA provisionally approved the acquisition after these changes on Microsoft’s end. A final ruling is expected on October 18, seemingly bringing the chapter of the industry’s greatest deal to a close.

Microsoft-Activision merger would bring a catalogue of games to a wider audience
Microsoft-Activision merger would bring a catalog of games to a wider audience

One of the main factors contributing to the change in The Competition andMarkets Authority’s stance is the revamped offer of Microsoft to sell some gaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment SA, This move leads to expectations that competition will be kept alive within the cloud gaming space for years to come. Prior to the final ruling, the authority will continue to consult on the offer.


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With additional protections to make sure that the deal is properly implemented, this will maintain the structure of the market, enabling open competition to continue to shape the development of cloud gaming in the years to come, and giving UK gamers the opportunity to access Activision’s games in many different ways, including through cloud-based multigame subscription services.” -Colin Raftery

This provisional approval is a positive outcome for Microsoft as the CMA previously vetoed the deal due to points raised by antitrust regulators. Following the victory in court over the Federal Trade Commission and receiving clearance from the European Union due to behavioral remedies, the company was set to face CMA in order to get this saga to its conclusion.

Proposing a revised deal in August, the CMA appears to have taken a different stance with the offer. While the authority’s position on the matter has been consistent, in light of the restructured offer, CMA’s CEO expressed how it would have been more efficient had Microsoft presented this version of the proposal during the original investigation.

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Saad is a News writer at eXputer. With vast journalistic experience working for a multitude of websites, Saad currently reports to eXputer with the latest news and dishes out his opinions on a frequent basis. He's currently studying Game and Interactive Media Design, which has further increased his knowledge about the ins and outs of the industry.

Experience: 1+ Year || Covers News Stories on eXputer || Education: Bachelors in Media Science.

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