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. 😔

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

Ubisoft Is Hiring A Wave of DE&I Amid Massive Controversy, Says Insider

According to an inside, Ubisoft is pushing DE&I despite the recent controversies and internal chaos going on.

Ubisoft’s Guillemot Family & Tencent Reportedly Taking The Company Private Amid Flops

Ubisoft faces financial struggles as the Guillemot family and Tencent explore taking the company private to stabilize its future.

Most Gamers Prefer Single Player Games Over Multiplayer, Reveals Recent Study 

A recent study revealed that single-player games are more popular, as around 53% of gamers still prefer the genre over multiplayer.

Space Marine 2 Dev Says Big Games Fail As They Lack Focus And Try To Do Too Much

The team behind Space Marine 2 believes that AAA games need to stop attempting a jack-of-all-trades approach for future success.

NVIDIA To End RTX 4080 SUPER & 4090 Production By November Before 5090 Launch

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER will soon be discontinued as NVIDIA prepares to launch its next-gen RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs