Microsoft President Does A 180 On UK Regulators After Initial Clash Over Activision Deal

Microsoft President Brad Smith has changed his tone about the CMA, which initially blocked the company's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

In a shift from past criticism, Microsoft's Brad Smith now says the UK regulator's tough stance on the Activision deal was "tough and fair".

Last year, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal. Britain's antitrust regulator believed the deal could damage the industry if the Redmond-based tech giant used its control over fan-favourite games like "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft" to harm rivals.