Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
Microsoft is still meeting all opposition in formal hearings and making plays to ensure that its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through, but it may be passing one of its major hurdles soon. After making several concessions and deals to ensure major Activision Blizzard IP will remain available to multiple platforms outside Xbox, sources have suggested that the European Union may move forward with approval for Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal.
Word of the EU’s supposedly impending approval for the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal came through Reuters, who claimed to have heard the confirmation from multiple anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Microsoft had gone to speak before the EU in a hearing under which representatives from PlayStation were also involved. However, leading up to the hearing, Microsoft had also made several licensing agreements to assuage antitrust concerns regarding the deal. This included a deal to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia’s GeForce Now program, as well as an agreement to release Call of Duty games on the Nintendo Switch.
This seems to have been enough to appease and settle about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and it seems all that’s left now is for the EU to formally approve the deal. Even so, Microsoft still has a couple obstacles left to clear as it aims to close the Activision Blizzard deal this spring 2023. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority still has qualms about the merger, much to the chagrin of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Also, Microsoft is still facing a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission that must be settled before the deal has a chance of approval in the United States.
Nonetheless, approval from the EU on the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard merger would be one less obstacle to overcome on their way to settling the deal. Stay tuned as we continue to follow for further updates as they become available.