Microsoft's Activision Deal Gets Approved by EU Regulators

Following an earlier report about EU regulators' anticipated announcement regarding Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard on May 15, the European Commission (EC), the competition authority of the EU, has issued a statement disclosing their approval of the merger.

Acknowledging that Microsoft has effectively addressed concerns related to competition, the EC has granted approval for the acquisition, stating that Microsoft's offer of ten-year free licensing agreements, ensuring European consumers and cloud game streaming services access to Activision's PC and console games, would foster fair competition within the market.

The statement further mentioned that a comprehensive market investigation revealed that Microsoft would not have the ability to harm rival consoles and multi-game subscription services.

This approval comes just a few weeks after the recent decision by the UK competition authority, the CMA, to block the deal, citing concerns about competition in cloud gaming.

Subsequent to the CMA's ruling, both Microsoft and Activision swiftly announced their intention to appeal. Microsoft has even reportedly enlisted the services of a lawyer renowned for successfully challenging EU regulators in competition cases to spearhead its appeal against the CMA's decision.