News game Another victory for Microsoft! A large new market confirms the acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Published on 05/20/2023 at 14:49
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And one more ! Another big market has just given Microsoft its approval to go ahead with its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard just days after Europe’s validation.
Step by step
Microsoft continues to work with the various regulators around the world to make their voices heard and get the go-ahead for the acquisition of the Activision Blizzard King group. nothing is decided yet while the CMA, the UK regulator, decided late last month to oppose the transaction.
But the Redmond company is still in the running. A few days earlier, The European Commission has decided to lean in favor of the American giant. Excellent news for Microsoft, which nonetheless has to meet several conditions, including a significant investment in the cloud.
The company has therefore committed to providing cloud providers with free licenses to allow consumers to stream the Activision Blizzard games they purchase, regardless of the operating system they use and the service they subscribe to.
Shortly after this all-important confirmation, it was another major market’s turn to agree, as Microsoft reported.
China gives the green light
After Europe, it is now China’s turn to agree to the takeover of Activision-Blizzard. Specifically, Tom Warren, journalist at The Verge, transmitted Microsoft’s press release after validation by the SAMR (State Administration for Market Regulation).
Microsoft confirms that China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has unconditionally approved the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making it the 37th country to back the deal 👇 pic.twitter.com/OZ2DRgCAth
—Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 19, 2023
China’s unconditional agreement to proceed with our acquisition of Activision Blizzard follows approvals from various jurisdictions such as the European Union and Japan, bringing the total to 37 countries, representing over two billion people. This acquisition, along with our recent commitments to the European Commission, will enable consumers around the world to play more games on more devices.
Despite everything, there are still a few steps to go before Microsoft can complete this takeover. China’s approval could benefit the giant as it soon seeks to overturn the CMA’s decision on appeal, as does approval from US regulator FTC.