The acquisition of Activision Blizzard is currently still validated. While Microsoft is confident, another obstacle jeopardizes this merger with Xbox.
Will you take away some drama from Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard? While Xbox is showing great confidence in the outcome of this acquisition, not everyone is on the same page. The Redmond company, which wants to assert itself, faces a new major difficulty.
The FTC continues to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
In episode 259 of season 40 of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, the case took a turn. The European Commission actually approved the acquisition. For the institution, Microsoft was able to respond to the concerns raised by such a merger. Both in the classic video game market and in the cloud gaming market. ” The commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission and represent a significant improvement for cloud gaming compared to the current situation
Great news, but it’s not over yet. Two major competition regulators, the FTC in the US and the CMA in the UK, remain strongly opposed to the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The CMA has already blocked the merger and the FTC has taken Microsoft to court.
Faced with these obstacles, the Redmond-based company insisted it would see it through to the end. Let yourself be enforced without waiting for the green light from the two authorities. The company is also preparing such a scenario behind the scenes and is examining its feasibility. After learning of this, the Federal Trade Commission saw red numbers and requested an injunction to prevent the sale of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft.
“A restraining order and restraining order are required. Microsoft and Activision said they could complete the acquisition at any time. Given this, and public reports that Microsoft and Activision Blizzard plan to finalize their deal very soon, we have requested an injunction to stop them while the case is being reviewed.”
The Call of Duty franchise exclusive to Xbox Series X|S and beyond?
After the Xbox Showcase, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s video games division, expressed confidence in the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. “I have to admit it’s quite an experience and a lesson. We’ve been at this for 18 months and it’s a long road. We remain confident about the outcome, we are working hard on it and we will continue to deliver our message.
What would be the consequences if the takeover were confirmed? Would the Call of Duty license only be available on Xbox platforms? NO. At least not for the next 10 years. To specify, Microsoft has signed deals to release Activision’s FPS games for 10 years on Nintendo Switch. For its part, Nvidia has also signed a deal for the flagship saga and cloud gaming. As part of this agreement, CoD and other Activision Blizzard titles will be released on GeForce Now. The green branded platform that allows you to stream games. You don’t have to have crazy gear, but then again, you do need a concrete internet connection. As for the deal with PlayStation, discussions seem more broken than ever.
See you soon with a new episode and maybe another twist…
