Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved by the EU

The European Union Commission approved Microsoft’s landmark acquisition of Activision Blizzard, moving the deal closer to completion.

In February, Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard gained momentum after 10-year deals with Nintendo, and Nvidia promised to supply Activision Blizzard titles to their platforms.

However, the deal suffered a major setback in April, as the UK’s competition and market authority blocked proceedings. The authority explained that it saw Microsoft’s strong position in the cloud gaming sector as the biggest issue for the deal. Microsoft responded, saying it would appeal the decision.

The European Union Commission differed in opinion.

European Union Commission pushes Activision Blizzard deal forward

On May 15, CharlieIntel reported that the European Union Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition.

CharlieIntel added: “The European Union says that the deal will support competition and that Call of Duty is not as important as Sony makes it out to be.”

The European Union Commission argued: “Even if Microsoft did decide to withdraw Activision’s games from the PlayStation, this would not significantly harm competition in the consoles market.”

In response, The UK CMA issued a statement saying the EU was “wrong to approve the Microsoft Activision Blizzard deal.

The UK CMA claimed that proposals would: “allow Microsoft to set the terms and conditions for this market for the next ten years.”

Activision Blizzard COO Lulu Cheng Meservey claimed: ” Activision Blizzard plans to meaningfully expand our investment and workforce throughout the EU, and we’re excited for the benefits our deal with Microsoft offers players in Europe and elsewhere.

The UK CMA appeal and a case against the US Federal Trade Commission still stand in the way of the acquisition getting finalized. There is no clear timetable for what comes next, but it’s clear that this saga is going to continue for the foreseeable future.