Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is not going very smoothly. The deal is for a record amount of 69 billion and has many opponents. The deal is therefore being investigated by the necessary market authorities and the EU will take an important step in its investigation.
Microsoft is expected to receive a warning from the EU soon. The governing body has been investigating the potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard for some time, but has not yet made a decision in the matter. That will happen no later than April, but in the meantime Microsoft will receive a so-called statement of objections.
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That is, in fact, a list of objections and concerns that the EU has about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has previously indicated that it wants to make concessions to get the deal through, but that seems impossible without first sending out a statement of objections. In the meantime, informal discussions are underway, Reuters reports.
What objections are there to the Activision Blizzard deal?
It is not yet known what exactly concerns the EU. But various parties, including Sony, Nvidia and Google think that Microsoft will become too powerful if it is allowed to take over Activision Blizzard. Microsoft insists it is not out for dominance and promises that Activision Blizzard’s games, especially Call of Duty, will also come to other platforms.
Despite this, Microsoft still has to convince several market authorities. In addition to the EU, the United Kingdom is also still investigating the deal. In the United States, Microsoft has been sued by the FTC, which is currently not considering a settlement.
