UK regulators state might clear Microsoft’s brand-new Activision takeover offer

Microsoft sent a brand-new proposition to U.K. regulators for the takeover of American video game publisher Activision Blizzard after its preliminary proposition was declined.
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LONDON — The U.K.’s competitors regulator on Friday stated Microsoft‘s reorganized takeover proposition of Activision Blizzard, sent in August, “opens the door to the deal being cleared.”
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority had actually obstructed the Redmond tech giant’s preliminary $69 billion deal, initially advanced in January 2022, on issues that it would limit competitors in the nascent cloud video gaming sector.
Microsoft then proposed a brand-new takeover offer, providing to divest cloud rights for existing Activision PC and console video games — and for brand-new video games released by Activision over the next 15 years — to French video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment.
The CMA had an Oct. 18 due date to study the deal.
“While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues,” the regulator stated Friday, including it is still seeking advice from on the proposition treatments prior to reaching a decision.
“We are encouraged by this positive development in the CMA’s review process. We presented solutions that we believe fully address the CMA’s remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming, and we will continue to work toward earning approval to close prior to the October 18 deadline,” stated Brad Smith, Microsoft vice chair and president, in an emailed declaration.
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