Disappearing from the UK would be a possibility for Activision Blizzard to integrate into Microsoft.
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is creating more than one headache for Redmond. After the Competition and Markets Authority blocked the deal in the United Kingdom, the danger of the movement of 69 billion dollars being suspended, Microsoft would be considering withdrawing Activision from the market of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as an extremist decision.
As reported by Bloomberg, the president of microsoftBrad Smith, He will meet next week with the UK ChancellorJeremy Hunt to express his frustration at the CMA’s decision to block the deal and explain “the potential of AI and the need for careful regulation of it“.
Smith himself criticized the CMA veto and told a business conference that competition watchdogs should “understand your broader responsibilities“, although it seems that the country’s government is not satisfied with these criticisms against the body, as well as other comments such as that the European Union is a better place to do business.
However, it is more striking that the source mentions that Microsoft’s legal representatives are prepared to discuss the strategy of countering the CMA decision with “extreme” options such as withdrawing Activision from the UK market or ignore the UK order and go ahead with the deal. However, it is more likely that Microsoft will wait for the appeal that it will make in court next July.
Activision Blizzard, part of Microsoft as the ultimate goal
Microsoft says the UK made “fundamental mistakes” by blocking the purchase of Activision Blizzard when even the European Union and China have given the go-ahead to the deal. To achieve this, the Redmonds have dodged the biggest fear of deal regulators: the creation of a monopoly situation by Microsoft, something that the company solved with 10 year agreements in which he undertakes to bring Activision Blizzard games to more streaming game servicesincluding Call of Duty on Nintendo Switch.
Will Microsoft get the UK nod? Will Activision Blizard have to retire to disappear into such important territory?