As The UK Says Activision Deal Could Harm Gamers, Blizzard Turns 32

Blizzard is a year older, but maybe a step further from being acquired by Microsoft.

Troy Blackburn
By Troy Blackburn, News Editor Posted:
Share:

call of duty activision blizzard microsoft

A Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation in the UK has provisionally concluded that the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard King by Microsoft could decrease player choice and allow for less innovation. The investigation was conducted over the past five months including hearings with Microsoft and Activision leaders and the analysis of over 3 million documents from the two companies. Also included in the investigation was input from other gaming console providers, game publishers, and cloud gaming service providers.

Microsoft already expected the UK to oppose the acquisition of Activision, a stance they never officially announced in public but was widely reported.

The CMA found that key games such as Call of Duty were important in driving console competition and that Microsoft would find it commercially advantageous to make such flagship games exclusive, or at the very least give consoles such as Sony's PlayStation a worse situation in obtaining the games.

In terms of cloud gaming, the CMA found that Microsoft already accounts for 60-70% of the cloud gaming services with Xbox, Windows, Azure, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

"Our job is to make sure that UK gamers are not caught in the crossfire of global deals that, over time, could damage competition and result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation. We have provisionally found that this may be the case here," the CMA said of these findings.

Microsoft will undoubtedly continue with the acquisition attempt, but more roadblocks and red tape are beginning to pile up for them to overcome.

These provisional findings haven't stopped analysts Nick McKay and Michael Pachter from thinking the deal will go through, though. In fact, they believe these "provisional" findings indicate the CMA probably knows it doesn't have a legal case to stand on.

While all of this is going on, Blizzard is celebrating its 32nd birthday today.

Note: Activision Blizzard is still under investigation by the state of California for serious harassment charges. CEO Bobby Kotick is alleged to have known about such actions within his company – and performed some himself – and shielded the perpetrators from consequences.

Share:
Got a news tip? Contact us directly here!


About the Author

Troy Blackburn
Troy Blackburn, News Editor
Troy “Noobfridge” Blackburn has been reporting on the video game industry for over a decade. Whether it’s news, editorials, gameplay videos, or streams, Noobfridge never fails to present his honest opinion whether those hot takes prove to be popular or not.

Discussion (0)


Read Next

RuneScape’s Latest Update Tasks Players With Retaking The Wilderness

RuneScape’s Latest Update Tasks Players With Retaking The Wilderness

Make your mark and become nobility.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 7 months ago

You May Enjoy

It's Finally Official: The Next Sims Game Will Be Free-To-Play

It's Finally Official: The Next Sims Game Will Be Free-To-Play

Sims 4 will still get love.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week ago
New Event/Dungeon With Special Rewards Happening In Elsword This Week

New Event/Dungeon With Special Rewards Happening In Elsword This Week

Will you overcome the Great Steel Wall?

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week ago
Earn 24 Limited-Time Cosmetics During Apex Legends’ Harbingers Event

Earn 24 Limited-Time Cosmetics During Apex Legends’ Harbingers Event

Do it by taking out your enemies with a target-seeking grenade.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 4 days ago
Blowfish's F2P Mecha-Space Game "Phantom Galaxies" Looks Neat...But Sadly It's NFT Based

Blowfish's F2P Mecha-Space Game "Phantom Galaxies" Looks Neat...But Sadly It's NFT Based

To access Alpha, players need a specific NFT.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 day ago
I Mean, Don't Get Those Hopes Up Yet...BUT EverQuest 3 MAY Be A Possibility For 2028

I Mean, Don't Get Those Hopes Up Yet...BUT EverQuest 3 MAY Be A Possibility For 2028

EG7 hopes to develop something using the EverQuest IP.

By Troy Blackburn - 1 day ago
World Of Warcraft Classic Adding Ice Crown Citadel This October, And Everything In WoW This Week

World Of Warcraft Classic Adding Ice Crown Citadel This October, And Everything In WoW This Week

Your weekly preview of all things WoW.

By Troy Blackburn - 4 days ago