It has been over a year since Microsoft announced its intentions to acquire Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal, but the acquisition is still facing major obstacles. Now, Microsoft may face another challenge as the European Union’s antitrust commission is preparing to send a charge sheet, known as a statement of objections, outlining concerns about the acquisition. The commission has set April 11 as the final deadline for its decision.
According to Reuters, the European Union’s antitrust commission was expected to offer remedies to avoid a statement of charge and shorten the regulatory process, but rumours suggest they are not open to offering remedies without first sending the charge sheet. However, there are reportedly ongoing informal discussions on concessions.
In response, Microsoft said, “We continue working with the European Commission to address any marketplace concerns. Our goal is to bring more games to more people, and this deal will further that goal.”
Previous concerns from US and UK regulators
This isn’t the first time regulators have expressed concerns about Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also going to court to block the deal, UK regulators are also expressing concerns, and even Sony is wary of the acquisition. The Japanese conglomerate fears games like Call of Duty will become exclusive to Xbox and PlayStation users will no longer have access to them.
To ease concerns, Microsoft recently reached a 10-year deal with Nintendo to make “Call of Duty” available on Nintendo consoles and stated they are open to a similar agreement with Sony, which has been critical of the acquisition.
It’s clear that the road ahead for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will not be easy. The company will have to address the concerns of various regulatory bodies and offer guarantees that the deal will be beneficial for the market.
2023-01-18 15:05:33