Microsoft and the UK’s regulatory body the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are once again entangled in a review of a proposed Activision acquisition with a new deadline set for the end of October 2023, for a revised decision, but a resolution could come as soon as next week.
The Verge is reporting that a source familiar with the proceedings, believes a ruling from the CMA is likely coming down the pipe as early as next week which would be roughly 60 days after they undertook another review process but three weeks before Microsoft would have to pay out $4.5 billion to Activision as part of a renegotiated acquisition date.
After being granted an appeal from the UK’s Competition Appeals Tribunal following the CMA’s initial rejection and injunction of the Activision deal, Microsoft has since restructured its bid for ABK to better assuage the initial concerns of European regulators.
While Microsoft is still attempting to require most of Activision Blizzard it has proposed doing so without the direct control of the companies cloud streaming licensing rights. Instead of Microsoft being in sole control of game streaming rights, the company would off-load the responsibility of market pricing and accessibility to Ubisoft for 12 years while also being subject to the same terms and agreements as every other game streaming service available.
With the CMA centering much of its initial rejection of the proposed Activision acquisition on Microsoft’s potential monopolization of cloud streaming, the company’s restructured deal should go a long way in minimizing those specific concerns.
The CMA can issue its preliminary decision as early as next week but a formal yes or no on the $68.2 billion dollar deal still has a deadline of October 18, 2023.
