The battle is not over! Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are suing the Court of Appeal. The corporations are outraged by the CMA's decision and point to expert incompetence
As might be expected, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard executives were left dissatisfied and disappointed by the UK Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) decision to block the corporations' merger.
Microsoft president Brad Smith released the following statement
We remain committed to this acquisition and will appeal. The CMA's decision rejects a pragmatic way of addressing competition issues and discourages technological innovation and investment in the United Kingdom.
We have already signed contracts to make Activision Blizzard's popular games available on an additional 150 million devices, and will strengthen these agreements through regulatory action.
We are particularly disappointed that, after lengthy discussions, this decision appears to reflect a misunderstanding of this market and how cloud technology actually works.
We remain fully committed to our acquisition with @ATVI_AB and will appeal today's determination by the CMA. Here's our statement. pic.twitter.com/ylvDP5RUqQ
- Brad Smith (@BradSmi) April 26, 2023
Microsoft will challenge the CMA's decision and sue in the Court of Appeal. Activision Blizzard is also in full solidarity with the corporation in this decision, as stated by Bobby Kotick, head of the games company.
Together with Microsoft we will challenge the decision and have already begun work on filing an appeal. We are confident that we are right, because we have the facts on our side and the deal will have a positive impact on competition.
It is difficult to predict how the case will develop, but in any case, the trial will take many months and will definitely not end in 2023.
