CMA Publishes Issues Statement That Invites The Public To "Share Their Views" On Microsoft's Acti-Blizz Acquisition

The UK regulator will reveal its findings from public comments in January.

Anthony Jones
By Anthony Jones, News Editor Posted:
Share:

CMA Public Response

While the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) continues to scrutinize Microsoft's proposed Activision-Blizzard acquisition until March 1st, the UK regulator has invited the public to give their opinion on whether the deal should happen. Literally. Anyone can pull up the UK government website and submit their views and evidence on the matter.

However, the CMA does not promise everyone's opinions will get acknowledged. Mainly, of course, due to the imminent volume of submissions over such a heated topic that shook the gaming and non-gaming world. As for what the public should respond to specifically about the merger, the CMA published its Issues Statement that lists a "theories of harm" section focused on potential concerns the acquisition could bring. That involves "the impact of the merger on multi-game subscriptions that rival Game Pass" and "Activision games being made Xbox exclusives."

Call of Duty Sony and Microsoft

The CMA will analyze the evidence from the public and reveal its findings in January. After, it will invite the public once again to share their views as it gets closer to the end of its second phase of investigations in March. "If we find no competition concerns, the deal can go ahead as planned," the CMA explained. "If we do find competition concerns, we decide how these should be remedied. For example, this can include selling part of the business or prohibiting the merger altogether."

The CMA's new public approach follows backroom discussions from Sony and Microsoft. Sony argued Microsoft could add "extra content" to Call of Duty games if the deal went through, with rumors arising later that Sony would cancel its showcase to avoid making Microsoft's comments on its exclusivity strategy stronger.

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

About the Author

Anthony Jones
Anthony Jones, News Editor
Anthony Jones is a gaming journalist and late 90s kid in love with retro games and the evolution of modern gaming. He started at Mega Visions as a news reporter covering the latest announcements, rumors, and fan-made projects. FFXIV has his heart in the MMORPGs scene, but he's always excited to analyze and lose hours to ambitious and ambiguous MMOs that gamers follow.

Discussion (0)


Read Next

Witches Invade Tamriel In The Elder Scrolls Online Halloween Event

Witches Invade Tamriel In The Elder Scrolls Online Halloween Event

The Witches Festival has begun.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 11 months ago

You May Enjoy

Dead By Daylight Developer Update Addresses "Face-Camping" And Drones

Dead By Daylight Developer Update Addresses "Face-Camping" And Drones

There's also improvements for the Shattered Square and MacMillan Estate maps.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 5 days ago
Here's What You Need To Know About The Deceive Inc. Private Lobby Beta Update

Here's What You Need To Know About The Deceive Inc. Private Lobby Beta Update

Besides lobbies that support up to 12 players, the patch fixes various issues too.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 3 days ago
TGS 2023: Bethesda Announces The Elder Scrolls Online Coming To Consoles In Japan And Fallout 76 Getting Two Part Update

TGS 2023: Bethesda Announces The Elder Scrolls Online Coming To Consoles In Japan And Fallout 76 Getting Two Part Update

Japanese players can look forward to fully localized ESO.

By Troy Blackburn - 3 days ago
Get a Look At Tarisland's SilverLit, The Airborne City, In A New Preview

Get a Look At Tarisland's SilverLit, The Airborne City, In A New Preview

We all float up here.

By Troy Blackburn - 6 days ago
Conan Exiles Age of War Chapter 2 Is Now Live, Improving Loot And Revamping The Purge Systems

Conan Exiles Age of War Chapter 2 Is Now Live, Improving Loot And Revamping The Purge Systems

This free update focuses on the game's base-building and follower system.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 4 days ago
Mainframe Industries Explains The Tech Of Pax Dei’s Servers, Targeting 7K Players Per Shard, 150 Per Zone

Mainframe Industries Explains The Tech Of Pax Dei’s Servers, Targeting 7K Players Per Shard, 150 Per Zone

This isn’t exactly new to MMO players but can be interesting for those who want a deeper look.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 4 days ago