It’s official, Microsoft has closed its massive $69 billion acquisition deal for Activision Blizzard today – the biggest-ever gaming deal which was first announced back in early 2022.
The final major regulatory hurdle from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), who first blocked the acquisition back in April, was cleared yesterday. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also opposed the deal but failed to stop it.
The move brings all Activision Blizzard titles like “Call of Duty,” “World of Warcraft,” “Candy Crush” and “Diablo” into the Microsoft fold.
The company is aiming to boost its growth in console, mobile, PC, and cloud gaming to compete with the likes of Tencent and PlayStation-owner Sony.
Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith said in a post on social media: “We’re grateful for the CMA’s thorough review and decision today. We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide.”
A rep for the CMA says: “The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers.”
Source: Reuters