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The controversial deal continues to draw opposition.
In January of last year, Microsoft announced its intents to take ownership of major video game publisher Activision Blizzard in a perspective $68 billion dollar deal. This deal has drawn a large crowd of detractors, not just from fellow members of the video game industry like Sony’s PlayStation, but from various antitrust watchdogs around the world. These entities have expressed concerns that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, and by extension their blockbuster Call of Duty franchise, would give Microsoft an unfair edge over every other major console manufacturer, a concern that Microsoft has repeatedly attempted to assuage with little success.
This week, according to a Reuters report, the European Commission of the European Union began preparations to bring forth an official antitrust warning against Microsoft should they attempt to pursue the deal further. The Commission is preparing a statement of objections, containing a list of concerns and grievances with the deal, which will be delivered in the next few weeks.
WATCH: Microsoft is likely to receive an EU antitrust warning about its $69 billion bid for ‘Call of Duty’ maker Activision Blizzard, that could pose another challenge to completing the deal https://t.co/R01eupOoIL pic.twitter.com/m5ZRTcxRzF
— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) January 17, 2023
In response to the preparation announcement, a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters that “We’re continuing to work with the European Commission to address any marketplace concerns. Our goal is to bring more games to more people, and this deal will further that goal.”
