The Verge reported that UK regulators are expected to make new decisions next week on Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard

There hasn't been any high-profile news about Microsoft and its Activision Blizzard deal since July 2023, but now we are going to continue this story.

Here's What We Know

The Verge reported that British regulators are expected to make a decision on the Microsoft and Activision Blizz deal next week.

The preliminary decision will be made by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This was reported to The Verge by sources familiar with the situation. This will happen after Microsoft offers new terms of acquisition, as the CMA has been blocking the deal out of fear that Microsoft monopolises the cloud gaming industry. And, most likely, Microsoft will transfer the rights to Activision Blizzard's cloud games to Ubisoft.

This will be followed by a final decision to be made on 18 October. It is worth reminding that it is the British regulators who do not give their consent to the Microsoft takeover when the antitrust committees of other countries have already supported the deal.

Flashback

In January, Microsoft announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard, the creators of the Call of Duty, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and other franchises. The transaction value is $68.7 billion, which is significantly higher than the $7.5 billion that Microsoft spent on the acquisition of Bethesda back in 2020. The deal is the largest in the history of gaming. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2023.

Source: theverge