What You Need to Know:
- The final stages of obtaining regulatory approval for its nearly $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard are underway for Microsoft.
- Across the globe, the deal has garnered approvals from various countries, including a victory for Microsoft over the FTC in the U.S. subsequent to a court session.
- After facing repeated delays, the decision has ultimately been rendered by New Zealand’s Commerce Commission, granting clearance for the deal.
- The pending closure of the deal by Microsoft hinges on the United Kingdom’s approval, representing the last significant nation for this purpose. However, the possibility of endorsements and rejections in other countries remains.
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard:
The monumental transaction in the gaming realm is steadily progressing towards its culmination.
After an astonishingly protracted eighth delay, New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has given its unencumbered endorsement to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
This development signifies the approval from one of the few remaining nations that had yet to make a decision regarding the $69 billion purchase. This acquisition will confer upon Microsoft control over renowned franchises such as Call of Duty, Diablo, and World of Warcraft, while also integrating numerous game development studios into Xbox’s roster of first-party developers, alongside Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.
Previously, the deal received the green light from various countries including Brazil, Japan, Ukraine, and the European Union. The latter, however, attached a series of corrective measures to ensure equitable competition in cloud gaming over the forthcoming years.
