Microsoft Aiming To Close Activision Acquisition Deal By June 2023

Over a year after the initial announcement, Microsoft’s Activision acquisition is nowhere near its conclusion. The company continues to see adverse opposition from Sony, and regulators like the FTC are also against the deal.

However, Microsoft is clearly ready to go the distance for the $68.7 Billion acquisition deal. According to marketscreener, Microsoft is still aiming to close the deal by Fiscal Year 2023(June 2023).

This target seems increasingly difficult with each new update on the Activision deal. Recently, Microsoft was facing the threat of an EU antitrust warning, and reports also claim that the FTC has sued the company to prevent negotiations with the EU regulators. 

Looking at the dates provided by regulators, many authorities will have announced their final verdict on the Activision Blizzard acquisition before June 2023. Countries like New Zealand and South Korea are set to decide during Q1 2023, with the European Commission deciding before May. 

However, the FTC has proven to be the biggest challenge for Microsoft, and the FTC’s hearings will begin in August. This could mean that the regulator could take several months before coming to a conclusion, possibly dragging the Activision acquisition into 2024.

If this happens, Microsoft will miss the FY 2023 target by a long mile. Previously, Microsoft has claimed that FTC’s approach to the acquisition is unconstitutional, expressing concern over the regulator. 

Despite the events of the last few months, Microsoft remains adamant that the Activision merger will bring a wide variety of games to more people worldwide. The gaming giant has also announced a decade-long plan to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo’s platforms, should the deal be finalized.

With the fierce opposition from gaming rivals and regulators, Microsoft’s target appears to be very ambitious. The coming months should reveal more about the situation, but it remains to be seen if Microsoft will be able to achieve the June 2023 target for the Activision merger.

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