Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal looks to be ever closer to completion and is said to be nearing the final hurdle. There has been preliminary approval given by the UK Regulator CMA, (Competition and Markets Authority), for the deal, reported to be $69million, to proceed.
The deal was originally blocked by the CMA, over concerns regarding cloud gaming. However, Microsoft restructured the deal which saw the transfer of gaming rights passed to Ubisoft for current and new Activision Blizzard games.
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In a recent press release, a spokesperson for the CMA had the following to say on the matter;
“The CMA considers that the restructured deal makes important changes that substantially address the concerns it set out in relation to the original transaction earlier this year, and opens the door to the deal being cleared.”
We should highlight that this is simply a preliminary decision, ahead of the final approval. There has been a consultation opened by the CMA in an effort to gain third-party feedback on the remedies proposed by Microsoft, which is open until 6 October.
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The final decision on this matter is expected to be delivered before the deadline on 18 October.
CMA did state that the Consultation period is there to address some concerns that they have remaining around the deal;
“While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues.”
Understandably Microsoft is said to be optimistic about how everything is proceeding. Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith, took to the Social Media site Twitter/X to give an update on the progress;
“We presented solutions that we believe fully address the CMA’s remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming, and we will continue to work toward earning approval to close prior to the October 18 deadline,”
Further to this, Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, stated that he too was pleased with the response from the CMA and that it was a “significant milestone in the merger.”
In a statement that was sent out to employees, Kotick stated that he was “optimistic” that the deal was nearly completed and thanked all of them for their focus and dedication throughout the process.
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If the CMA does indeed pass approval, then this would be seen as the final regulatory obstacle needing to be passed to complete the billion-dollar deal.
No doubt many fans will be glad to see the conclusion of this long-running legal saga and going by this news, it looks like the end is indeed in sight.
But what are your thoughts on the latest news for the Microsoft acquisition deal for Activision Blizzard? Will you just be glad when it is over and done with and you don’t need to hear about it anymore? Get in touch, drop us a comment, and let us know your thoughts.
Source: The Verge
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