Deal in jeopardy: EU regulatory commissions have initiated an additional investigation into the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard
It seems that Call of Duty has become a stumbling block: experts predict that the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard could fall apart about the possible failure of the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are close to the truth.
Here's What We Know
The verdict of the European Union antitrust service, as previously - the UK, is as follows: at this stage it requires an additional investigation of all the conditions and consequences of the merger of the two giants.
In general, so far the European Union does not approve the deal between Microsoft Corporation and Activision Blizzard Publishing House.
Regulators have identified several important negative factors:
- The deal will negatively affect competition in the video game market;
- Activision Blizzard's game catalog will make the Xbox Game Pass service even more attractive;
- There is concern that after signing the deal Microsoft will become the undisputed (and unattainable by competitors) leader in the market of cloud-based gaming platforms;
- In case Microsoft makes Activision games an exclusive of Windows, it will deprive other OSs of appeal to gamers and lead to a complete lack of competitors in the development and production of new operating systems.
The EU and the UK will consider all aspects of the deal until March 2023, and only then will they make their decision.