According to a new media report, the EU’s antitrust watchdog will likely warn Microsoft about its planned $69 billion acquisition of video game developer Activision Blizzard.
According to recent reports by Reuters, the European Commission’s objections with the agreement will be made public in the coming weeks. Blizzard is the publisher of the popular “Call of Duty” video game series.
The deadline for the commission’s statement of objections is April 11, 2023, according to Reuters. Ten days after its intended November release date, Blizzard’s latest “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” generated more than $1 billion in sales.
Microsoft said Reuters in a statement, “We continue to collaborate with the European Commission to address any market concerns.” “Our mission is to make more games available to more people, and this deal will help us achieve that objective.”
Microsoft, which owns the Xbox system brand, announced in January 2022 that it will acquire Blizzard. However, antitrust officials in the United States and the United Kingdom have attempted to block the merger.
Microsoft has pledged to make “Call of Duty” available on Nintendo for a period of ten years in order to alleviate concerns regarding the partnership. According to Reuters, the corporation is eager to deal with its competitor Sony for the same terms.
Several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Serbia, and Brazil, have granted Microsoft permission to proceed with the acquisition without imposing obligatory conditions.
The EU initiated an investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition in November 2022, prior to the announcement of the agreement, out of concern that it would establish an unfair monopoly in the video gaming industry.
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