Microsoft Facing Threat Of EU Antitrust Warning Over Activision Acquisition

Expert Verified By

EU Antitrust Warning Inbound!

Despite Microsoft’s numerous efforts, the Activision Blizzard acquisition continues to be an uphill battle for the gaming giant. Microsoft has resorted to measures such as committing to a 10-year deal for Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles, but regulators appear to be still skeptical about the deal.

A new report from Reuters claims that the European Commission is working on a charge sheet called a statement of objections to voice concerns over the buyout. 

While Microsoft was expected to present its case to the EU regulators to avoid a statement of charge, the European Commission has decided to resort to the charge sheet before any negotiations.

Microsoft president Brad smith on the Activision Acquisition Blizzard Candy Crush Call of DutyIt is claimed that this move could add to the growing list of challenges Microsoft faces. The gaming giant’s recent acquisition has seen concern from Google and Nvidia recently. Meanwhile, Sony continues to be the biggest rival to Microsoft.

The FTC has also filed a lawsuit against the acquisition, but Microsoft insists that the company will face the challenge head-on. The EU’s latest decision will likely increase the difficulty of the massive purchase, but Microsoft appears to be confident about the company’s position on the matter.

Should the deal go through, Microsoft will bring Activision games like Call of Duty to Game Pass, providing easy access to millions of gamers around the world. On the other hand, Activision has claimed that games like Call of Duty will not come to a subscription service if the merger fails. 

 

Microsoft stated,

“We’re continuing to work with the European Commission to address any marketplace concerns.”

While many regulators oppose the deal, the Activision Blizzard acquisition has been approved in Chile and Serbia. Other countries like Brazil and Saudia Arabia are also in favor of the merger.

Multiple regulators are expected to announce their decisions in the coming months, and the next few months should prove to be crucial to the fate of the $68.7 acquisition. For now, Microsoft maintains its stance to bring games to more people worldwide. 

Read Next: Atomic Heart To Include 60 FPS Support For Next-Gen Consoles

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

Job Listing Confirms Sony’s Live-Service Title Fairgames Is Powered by Unreal Engine 5

Tech4Gamers came across a job listing at SIE for Fairgames, which revealed that the game is being built on Unreal Engine 5.

Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Surpasses 265K by 4.2% in Geekbench Benchmarks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is 4.2% faster than the 265K demonstrated in a performance test by Geekbench.

Netflix Was Initially Interested in Buying EA, Disney and Fox, But Decided To Go For WB

Netflix was reportedly interested in buying EA in the first place, but then settled for Warner Bros, Fox, and Disney and their games studios.

Tomb Raider Studio Has a New Open-World Action-Adventure Project in the Works Since 2019

Eidos Montreal, studio behind Tomb Raider games is working on a new third-person action adventure game since 2019.

Ubisoft Open to Bringing Back Dual Protagonists in Future Assassin’s Creed Games; If the Story Supports It

Assassin's Creed Shadows associate game director claims Ubisoft plans to do dual protagonists in future titles if the narrative calls for it.