“We delivered a clear message to Microsoft that the deal would be blocked unless they comprehensively addressed our concerns and stuck to our guns on that,” says Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA. Gaming publisher Ubisoft, best known for the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry games, will offer Activision’s content in the cloud gaming market. As a result, Microsoft and the CMA negotiated the terms of the deal. An investigation concluded that the merger would lead to, “higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers.” The biggest hurdle revolved around cloud-based gaming the CMA believed that Microsoft’s influence would be too large. READ MORE: Microsoft can move ahead with $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, judge rulesĮarlier this year, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) staunchly objected to the deal. Best known for mega franchises such as Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo, and Candy Crush, the deal’s approval marks the end of a lengthy and tumultuous process.
Nearly 21 months after announcing the nearly $70 billion acquisition in January 2022, Microsoft officially welcomes video game developer Activision Blizzard King to the Xbox family.
