Microsoft has filed a change-of-circumstances document with the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), requesting that the regulator take recent market developments into account when assessing its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The submission asks the CMA to consider recent cloud gaming agreements involving Nvidia and Nintendo, the 10-year agreement guaranteeing Call of Duty availability to Sony, and materials Microsoft and Activision provided to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Background: CMA’s earlier blockage and U.S. approval
The CMA initially blocked the acquisition in April, citing concerns about the deal’s potential impact on the cloud gaming market.
Separately, Microsoft secured approval from the FTC. After that clearance, Microsoft and Activision agreed to extend the merger deadline to October 18 for the planned $68.7 billion purchase (about R$321 billion at current exchange rates). The original deadline had been July 18.
Timeline for the CMA decision
The CMA said it will accept comments on Microsoft’s new submissions until August 4. It intends to reach a final decision by August 29.
Next steps for the companies
By providing the change-of-circumstances filing, Microsoft and Activision may present further details about their final acquisition proposal in the coming weeks. The extension to October 18 gives the companies additional time to address the CMA’s concerns.
Reporting in this article is based on information from The Verge.
