Microsoft Expects Opposition From UK On Activision Blizzard

Expert Verified By

One More Problem For Microsoft!

After the recent threat of an EU antitrust warning, Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition once again appears to be in trouble. The gaming giant faces regulators worldwide, and there seems to be little hope of convincing them.

According to a new report from New York Times, Microsoft is now expecting the UK to oppose the merger. 

Microsoft president Brad smith on the Activision Acquisition Blizzard Candy Crush Call of Duty

New York Times stated:

“Microsoft’s legal team also expects the antitrust authority in Britain to oppose the transaction.”

The FTC has already stated that it does not intend to let the deal go through. According to the authority, Microsoft’s deal would allow the gaming giant an unfair advantage over competitors like Sony. 

However, negotiations with European authorities like the CMA have favored Microsoft. CMA’s inquiry previously stated that 75% of the public supported Microsoft in the Activision Blizzard acquisition. 

As such, Microsoft was confident that the gaming giant would be able to present a case before the UK, but this does not seem very likely from the latest report. Despite the problems, Microsoft still believes that the European Commission is open to remedies from the company. 

If an authority like the European Commission ultimately accepts the acquisition, it would help Microsoft convince major opposition like the CMA, FTC, and the UK. Microsoft has already offered concessions like Call of Duty on Nintendo for ten years and a long-term deal with PlayStation to convince regulators.

These efforts have not been too successful, but the deal has been approved in countries like Serbia and Chile. Presently, the gaming giant is looking to close the deal by June 2023, but this seems more difficult with each new update on the acquisition.

Read Next: Dead Space Remake Development Was Completed In 28 Months

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Black Ops 7 Day-One Steam Player Count Down 70% Compared To Black Ops 6

Black Ops 7 seems to be underperforming as a follow-up to last year's Call of Duty, reaching just 33% of the day-one players on Steam.

Ubisoft Almost Revived Splinter Cell In 2017 But Scrapped The Idea For Live-Service Focus

Ubisoft is currently working on reviving Splinter Cell with a remake, but a new report reveals the studio almost brought the IP back in 2017.

PlayStation Boss Says the PS5’s Best-Selling Game Is Yet to Come

Sony's Senior Vice President Eric Lempe says that PS5's biggest-selling game isn't even out yet despite 5 years since the console's release.

Star Citizen On Its Way To Hit $1 Billion In Funding, Still No Release In Sight

Star Citizen is about to reach $1 billion in crowdfunding, but 12 years later, it still doesn't have a solid release window in sight.

Steam Machine Will Spark A Whole New Generation of Linux-Based PCs, Says Baldur’s Gate 3 Dev

Baldur's Gate 3 publishing lead says the Steam Machine can usher in a new generation of Linux PCs, as the Steam Deck did for handhelds.