Microsoft Might Pull Activision From The UK Get Around Activision Blizzard Acquisition Block

No Activision? No problem.

According to a Bloomberg report, Microsoft is considering withdrawing Activision from the UK market as a potential strategy to bypass the country's block on its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The company’s president Brad Smith is scheduled to meet with UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt next week to express his frustration over the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) decision to block the deal. Smith will also discuss the company's strategy with legal representatives, including extreme options such as withdrawing Activision from the UK or bypassing the UK order and proceeding with the acquisition.

The report suggests that moving Activision's operations to another European country outside the CMA's jurisdiction could allow the company's games to continue being sold through a distributor. Microsoft's appeal against the CMA's decision will be heard in court in July. As of now though, the deal has already been approved in nearly 40 countries (including the European Union).