CMA Gives Provisional Approval to the $68,700,000,000 Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Deal

Xbox has welcomed Activision Blizzard into their family after their win in FTC vs. Microsoft. While the studio did secure a win in the US, the deal still had some roadblocks across the Atlantic. UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was actively blocking the deal, having similar concerns to what the FTC had.

But now it looks like the concerns of the CMA have been put to rest. Adding on to the good news for Xbox fans, the UK regulatory body has provisionally agreed to the $68.7 billion deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.

CMA grants provisional permission to the $68.7 billion deal

Following the victory over FTC, CMA was the only major roadblock in the $68.7 billion deal. The CMA had similar concerns to what the FTC had while also worried about the impact of this deal on the cloud gaming space. And Microsoft looked for a unique solution to solve CMA’s plight.

The Xbox owners collaborated with yet another gaming studio Ubisoft to sell cloud streaming rights to them. The two studios entered a 15-year agreement and made a clause that Activision, Blizzard, and King titles would not be exclusive to Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, this move led to yet another inquiry from the CMA.

Read More: Leaked Documents Reveal How Jim Ryan and Former PlayStation Head Took a Dig at $68,700,000,000 Microsoft-Activision Deal

But it looks like the UK regulatory body is content with Microsoft selling cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft. The CMA sent out its statement, reading, “To address these concerns, Microsoft has offered remedies to ensure that the terms of the sale of Activision’s rights to Ubisoft are enforceable by the CMA. The CMA has provisionally concluded that this additional protection should resolve those residual concerns.”

Microsoft president is elated by CMA’s decision

Following the statement from CMA, Microsoft president Brad Smith sent out a tweet showing his happiness about the decision. Furthermore, Smith claims they are trying to close the deal before the October 18 deadline.

While CMA has provisionally accepted the deal, they are holding a consultation on October 6 to finalize their decision on the matter. The Xbox fans are also eagerly awaiting what the CMA will decide on the fate of the multi-billion dollar deal. What are your thoughts on CMA provisionally allowing the deal? Let us know in the comments section below.

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