Xbox’s Activision Deal Expected to Get Green Light in Key Regions, Particularly China and EU
The proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft‘s Xbox division has been making headlines for months now, and it seems that the deal will be approved in key countries. We have seen today how the FTC have heavily tipped in the favor of Microsoft.
China is one of the countries that is likely to approve the deal, while the European Union has moved its deadline to April 25th, which is expected to be the day before the CMA‘s findings.
The US Chamber of Commerce has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking correspondence between the FTC and other regulators over the merger.
It has already been shown that the public is interested in how the FTC works with foreign antitrust agencies. Mainstream media outlets are especially interested in whether the FTC and foreign agencies worked together to review the Microsoft Activision deal.
Despite these developments, lawyers are predicting that the EU will likely approve the deal. Xbox has expanded PC game pass to 40 new countries on February 28th, almost doubling the number of countries where it’s available (86). This move is strategic because it shows the CMA and the EU that Xbox are acting together wisely.
Many people are interested in the outcome of the Activision Blizzard case, and the US Chamber of Commerce’s request for correspondence between the FTC and other regulators is clear evidence of this.
If you want to learn more, the FTC website is a good resource for keeping up with the latest developments in the case, as it posts all documents related to the case.
It looks like the Xbox Activision deal will likely be approved in key countries. While there are still some uncertainties, such as the FTC’s response to the US Chamber of Commerce’s request, it seems that Xbox is doing everything it can to act in good faith and make the deal happen. As such, we can expect to see further developments in the near future.
While this is all that we know of now, rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.
