Weeks after voicing concerns over lessening competition in the console space, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has reversed its position and looks dead set on approving Microsoft’s Activision acquisition.
Microsoft ’s ongoing battle to have the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approve its proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard finally looks to be coming to an end, as the UK watchdog has turned around on its previous belief that the merger could “harm UK players”. This comes just weeks after it proposed Call of Duty could be removed from the deal entirely.
In a new statement discussing its updated findings, CMA chairman Martin Coleman stated “we have now provisionally concluded that the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services”. The reason being, he said, is because Microsoft making Call of Duty an Xbox exclusive franchise would be “loss-making under any plausible scenario” and therefore very silly. Essentially, Microsoft won’t stop releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation because it would lose money doing so.
