The European Union is not expected to launch a renewed investigation of Microsoft’s restructured Activision Blizzard buyout.
The deal was modified in an effort to remedy the CMA’s concerns over how the deal could affect the emergent cloud gaming market. Part of the restructured deal was an agreement to sell off Activision’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft.
The European Commission approved the deal back in May this year, a month after the CMA announced its decision to withhold its approval. Microsoft and the CMA entered into an agreement to halt the former’s appeal to iron out a compromise—one which the CMA has now provisionally approved. With the deadline for the deal coming on October 18, a final verdict from the CMA is imminent, and could arrive as early as Friday, October 13.
If the deal is not done by that deadline, Microsoft will be obligated to pay a fee to the tune of $4.5 billion to Activision, and the two parties will have to begin a renegotiation process.
Via Bloomberg.
