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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Alex Hern UK technology editor

Microsoft takeover of Activision Blizzard raises concerns at UK regulator

Microsoft Activision Blizzard Phil Spencer United Kingdom CMA PlayStation
A person playing Call of Duty on a mobile phone
Microsoft is aiming to bring more games to mobile platforms through its Game Pass subscription service. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

The UK’s competition regulator has raised concerns about Microsoft’s $68.7bn (£59.6bn) deal to buy the Call of Duty publisher, Activision Blizzard, and given the two companies five days to offer solutions.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned that the Xbox owner’s proposed takeover of the company behind popular titles including World of Warcraft and Candy Crush, which would be the biggest ever gaming industry merger, “could substantially lessen competition in gaming consoles, multi-game subscription services, and cloud gaming services”.

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