After many times being subject to investigations from foreign government agencies, this time, Microsoft has filed a request to buy Activision.
According to VCG , Microsoft officially submitted a proposal to buy Activision Blizzard to the European Commission on September 30.
Ahead of this move, the European competition watchdog confirmed it had set an interim deadline until November 8 to decide to complete the $68.7 billion deal or enter the regulatory phase. The second survey is more detailed.
Between now and the interim, the European Commission will analyze the Microsoft deal in a process known as phase I review. The aim is to decide whether the merger will reduce competition in the market.
If there are still concerns about the deal after the investigation, the European Commission will conduct a phase 2 review, which aims to analyze the impact of the merger further.
As reported by the Financial Times this month, regulators and others involved in the Microsoft and Activision merger expect a protracted EU investigation.
Regulators worldwide because of antitrust concerns at a time of growing concern for the gaming industry. The game industry’s major deal is being scrutinized by
Earlier this month, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation into the merger had officially been extended to a second phase due to a number of concerns. Notably, the CMA is worried about the impact of the acquisition on PlayStation’s competitiveness, as Microsoft will acquire ownership of the Call of Duty series.
In response to CMA’s concerns, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said Microsoft was committed to making Call of Duty available on PlayStation for “a few more years” after Sony’s current deal with Activision expires.
Deal The current Call of Duty between Sony and Activision is said to include 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 and a new game by developer Treyarch, which could arrive in 2024.