Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
After more than a year of trying to get approval for its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the CMA blocked Microsoft from doing so. The UK regulator determined that the deal could allow Microsoft to corner the cloud gaming market, which is expected to grow exponentially in the future. Microsoft immediately responded by stating its intention to appeal the decision and has now hired a lawyer known for overturning CMA rulings to help them do so.
It was recently reported by Yahoo Finance that Microsoft had hired the services of Daniel Beard as it prepares to take on the CMA after its decision to block the Activision Blizzard deal. Beard has a reputation for winning cases that overturn rulings from the UK regulator, and Microsoft is optimistic that he can help them to do just that. Most notably, Beard helped Apple successfully appeal a multi-billion dollar penalty brought against it by the CMA. He also worked with Microsoft in hearings regarding its proposed acquisition, prior to the CMA ruling.
Microsoft’s appeal will likely extend the matter another several months, with some believing that it could actually push a final decision to 2024. Phil Spencer reaffirmed the company’s commitment to seeing the deal through in a recent interview with Kinda Funny, where he also spoke about the critical performance of Redfall.
Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard would likely have major ramifications for the video game industry if it were to go through. While the move was initially blocked, there is still a long way to go before it’s completely said and done. For future updates on the ordeal, be sure to bookmark our Microsoft topic page.