The CMA’s investigation will be divided into two phases. By September 1, the regulator must decide whether the takeover of game studio Activision Blizzard will restrict competition in Britain. If it concludes that it is, it will look more closely at the transaction in the second phase of the investigation.
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“We want to answer the regulatory authorities’ questions and strongly believe that a thorough review will help close the deal. We expected a detailed review by the regulatory authorities and we think it is appropriate,” Microsoft’s corporate vice president Lisa Tanzi, who is responsible for legal affairs at the company, responded to the investigation.
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Microsoft had planned to complete the acquisition during this financial year, which ends on June 30, 2023. It is not yet clear whether that date will be pushed back due to the investigation.
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However, if the UK regulator gives the green light to the deal, it will be the biggest purchase of all time in the history of video games. After the successful completion of the entire deal, Microsoft should turn into the third largest gaming company in the world, at least in terms of revenue. It will thus rank closely behind Tencent and Sony. But the business still needs to be approved by the regulatory authorities.
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Microsoft will thus become the owner of a number of famous names in the gaming world – let’s mention at least Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush, Tony Hawk, Diablo, Overwatch, Spyro, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot and StarCraft.
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