Microsoft eyes closing its giant Activision Blizzard deal next week

[John Elden Ring]

Microsoft is planning to finalize its $68.7 billion proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week. A source familiar with Microsoft’s plans tells The Verge that the company is eyeing up Friday October 13th as the closing date where it announces to the world that the 20-month process to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard is over.

That date will still depend on the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority though, a regulator that blocked Microsoft’s deal earlier this year. Microsoft recently restructured the deal to transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft, and the Xbox maker secured preliminary approval from the CMA late last month as a result.

The CMA has a deadline that expires today on gathering opinions over whether it should grant consent to Microsoft to proceed with the merger. A final decision from the CMA is expected next week, and barring any surprise last-minute changes should allow Microsoft to close its deal.

 

[AshHunter216]

Ah well, screw them and their shills / fanboys. Still doesn't make me want their platform.

 

[Zzero]

I debated posting this but didn't. The UK decision is next week and the renegotiated due date was the week after, so we kind of knew the timeframe already.

 

[Danja]

At this stage I don't even care anymore. I look forward to the state of Activision in 5 years under the leadership of Matt Booty.

 

[Say1nMan]

Nothing giant bout this deal anymore when Microsoft had to sell the cloud rights of ABK games in order to get this deal through. Microsoft paying more for less and I am willing to bet that the higher brass at Microsoft aren't too pleased bout how long this thing was dragged out and what they had to give up in order to get this deal done. King is their saving grace in all of this and it's Phil's "get out of jail free card" when he kills the Xbox console for good. ABK won't change the landscape. PlayStation and Nintendo will continue to mop Xbox.