It was a close call for a considerable amount of time. Even though the Federal Trade Commission has decided to prevent the transaction, Microsoft is finally taking steps to complete its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
According to a new report from The New York Times, anti-trust regulators in the United Kingdom and the European Union, who have recently been moving toward sanctioning the merger, may have given Microsoft significant support. After receiving assurances from Microsoft that it would share the Call of Duty franchise with Sony and Nintendo, the organizations shifted their perspective. They began to see the acquisition more favorably.
Later this week, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority will decide. According to recent reports, Microsoft is sure that it will also gain support from the European Commission, which is expected to decide regarding its stance at the end of this month. Suppose Microsoft receives such a considerable amount of support. In that case, it may decide to dispute the judgment reached by the FTC, which banned the deal due to a complaint filed with an FTC administrative court.
The approval of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will likely be Microsoft’s ace in the hole for ensuring that the acquisition goes through. Over the past few weeks, the corporation has been working hard to win the organization’s permission. Over the next ten years, it has pledged to share Call of Duty with cloud-based gaming companies like Ubitus and Boosteroid.
Since the revelation that Microsoft would be acquiring Sony, one of Sony’s primary concerns has been that Call of Duty would become an exclusive title for Xbox and Game Pass. This has resulted in hatred and venom between the two gaming giants that have not been seen before. According to the opinions of legal experts, the FTC will have difficulty upholding its complaint. Microsoft is not involved in the mobile gaming industry and is considered “the third largest console maker.”
Are you looking forward to the conclusion of this epic story?