The next leader of the soon to be 3rd party Xbox division, ladies and gentlemen.
The Idas post is pure cope. ABK has no intention of jeopardising their operations in a huge market on the -and I don't say this lightly - INSANE premise that the CMA wouldn't continue to pursue a block because it's "out of their jurisdiction". Wake up knuckleheads, Microsoft would still be in the UK and subject to UK law.
The only way to circumvent is to pull both companies out entirely. In totality. Not ringfence, not cordon off, not pull out a division or two and name it Schmicrosoft hoping no one notices.
Yes, MS is fucked if this doesn't go through because the reasons given by CMA would apply to any publisher and indeed any other acquisition that intersects with Azure. That's the point. The CMA are fucking Microsoft and limiting its growth through illegal and anticompetitive means.
They will not pull out of the UK because how the fuck would that look to other countries? And if anyone on earth truly thinks that the smart course of action is to ignore the laws you don't like of the nation you're trying to operate in: same answer. Other countries will accelerate their demise.
Break up Microsoft, shut down Xbox. They've invited so much scrutiny that they've set themselves on a course for absolute disaster.
