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On Friday morning (the 13th), the U.K. regulatory agency announced its approval of the acquisition of the Activision by Microsoft. The Competition Markets Authority (CMA) stated that Microsoft had provided sufficient assurances to maintain competition in the cloud gaming market.
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There had already been recent rumors suggesting that the conclusion of the much-talked-about “biggest gaming saga of 2023” was imminent. With the European Union deciding not to pursue further investigations and Microsoft expressing its intention to finalize the acquisition later this week, Microsoft is now free to officially announce the completion of its purchase of Activision/Blizzard/King still on October 13.
CMA celebrated the results it achieved
The sale of Activision Blizzard's cloud gaming rights to the Ubisoft This eased the situation, and the CMA promised to reevaluate the matter, indicating a favorable stance. In addition, the CMA stated that the new agreement will prevent Microsoft from stifling competition in the cloud gaming market, especially while it is still growing.
Criticism of the delay in reviewing the agreement
CMA Executive Director Sarah Cardell did not hesitate to criticize the tech giants for the delay in reviewing the deal. She emphasized the CMA’s commitment to preventing the approval of acquisitions that harm competition and have negative impacts on consumers. Sarah Cardell stressed that the CMA’s decisions are made independently, without political influence, and made it clear that the CMA had informed Microsoft that it would not approve the acquisition unless the company amended the agreement.
In its official statement, the CMA also highlighted its role in the process, stating that it was the only agency to challenge Microsoft, which led to changes in the agreement. “With the sale of the streaming rights to Ubisoft, we have confirmed that Microsoft will not be able to dominate this growing market,” the CMA stated. With all obstacles finally overcome, Microsoft is expected to announce the completion of the acquisition in the coming hours.
Source: Video Games Chronicle