The UK CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has finally approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
People have been eagerly watching the back-and-forth negotiations surrounding the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft for quite some time. However, it looks set to finally come to an end as the UK CMA has finally approved the acquisition. Below, we explain everything you need to know about this unfolding situation.
Microsoft Activision Blizzard Acquisition Ending
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed its decision to allow the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard to go through on the condition that Microsoft sell the cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft. Cloud streaming has been a sore spot for the CMA and one of the initial reasons it blocked the acquisition back in April 2023.
The acquisition has been ongoing since Microsoft announced its intent to purchase the company on January 18, 2022. It has taken 633Â days or 1 year, 8 months, and 3 weeks, since the initial announcement for the final roadblock to pass. Now all that needs to happen is for Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to officially confirm that the deal has gone through.
Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a statement via X, formerly Twitter, that the CMA’s approval was the “final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition” and that the deal will “benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide.”
Once the deal is finalized, Microsoft will gain ownership of Activision Blizzard and its subsidiaries. This includes owning exclusivity rights to its IP, including Call of Duty and the Overwatch series. The deal marks yet another enormous purchase by Microsoft in an attempt to compete with Sony in the gaming market. Previously, Microsoft purchased Bethesda, leading to the controversial Starfield and poorly received Redfall releasing exclusively on Xbox.