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After nearly 2 years, the saga has finally ended.
Image Credit: Microsoft, Overwatch
Following the reveal that the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft received the final approval from a UK regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Microsoft announced that it has now formally acquired Activision Blizzard, making the $69 billion deal the largest buy-out in the game industry history.
The saga, which started back in January 2022, lasted for 20 months, with Microsoft fighting its way through countless persistent legal battles and court hearings with regulators who alleged anti-monopoly violations in the acquisition. Now that the CMA has granted approval for the acquisition, the story has finally come to an end, with Microsoft now owning Activision, Blizzard, and mobile division King, as well as their respective IPs, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush, and more.
To celebrate, Xbox also shared a short cinematic, "welcoming the legendary teams and franchises of Activision Blizzard King to Xbox":
"We’re grateful for the CMA’s thorough review and decision today," earlier commented Brad Smith, Microsoft's President, on CMA's approval. "We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide."
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