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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Dan Milmo Global technology editor

Microsoft completes $69bn deal to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard

Microsoft Activision Blizzard Activision United Kingdom Sarah Cardell CMA
Visitors pass an advertisement for the Activision Blizzard video game Call of Duty at a computer games fair in Cologne, Germany
An advertisement for Call of Duty, one of Activision Blizzard’s most lucrative gaming franchises. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

Microsoft has completed its $69bn (£57bn) deal to buy Activision Blizzard, the maker of games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, after the UK’s competition watchdog cleared the acquisition.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had moved to block the deal in April, citing concerns that Microsoft – the maker of the Xbox gaming console – would dominate the nascent cloud gaming market.

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