The Microsoft – Activision deal that has been in the works since January last year is finally becoming a reality. With the latest approval from the UK, Activision-Blizzard will be sold to Microsoft for 68.7 billion dollars. But what will happen to popular games like Call of Duty?
UK approves Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard acquisition
After the US and Europe, Microsoft has been waiting for a green light from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a new statement from the CMA, the $68.7 billion “game-changing” Activision-Blizzard acquisition was approved under certain conditions.
The CMA had blocked the merger earlier this year due to competition concerns in cloud gaming. Microsoft, however, addressed those concerns by signing an agreement transferring cloud rights to Activision-Blizzard games to Ubisoft.
Nearly 20 months after Microsoft attempted to acquire Activision-Blizzard, the deal will be finalized. Call of Duty games will be available for PlayStation for another 10 years, according to previous regulatory approvals.
“We now have all necessary regulatory approvals in place for closing and look forward to bringing joy and connection to even more gamers around the world,” Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement sent to employees.
The deal represents Microsoft’s largest acquisition to date. It will also make the company the third largest game distributor. We’ll see what the impact will be for Xbox and Windows.
So what do you think about this? Don’t forget to share your opinions with us in the comments section!
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