It seems like a lie, but the soap opera of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King by Microsoft could have concluded. As we told you this morning, those from Redmond have obtained the long-awaited final approval from the CMA, the British regulator, three weeks after this entity gave its provisional approval, opening a period for possible allegations by third parties. Allegations that, from what we can deduce, have either not occurred or the regulator has not considered them relevant.
This term, therefore, was already known previously, to the point that Just a week ago we were already pointing out that the operation was going to close todaysince some internal sources indicated that the operation would be immediate, despite the fact that, as of today, there were still five days left to complete the operation before the new deadline expired, which was agreed upon by both parties in mid-July, and that It initially extended the marking by three months when the operation was announced, at the beginning of January 2022.
Thus, with all the path so marked, there was no other choice but to hope that one of the most desired moments in Redmond would arrive today. An obvious example of this has been that, as soon as the approval of the CMA was confirmed, the directors of both companies have expressed themselves especially satisfied and, although they have not initially indicated that the confirmation would occur in a few hours, it is more than evident that They already had everything ready to finish the operation immediately..
Today is a good day to play. We officially welcome Activision Blizzard King to Team Xbox. Together, we’ll create stories and experiences that bring players together, in a culture empowering everyone to do their best work and celebrate diverse perspectives. https://t.co/KBCESknYYh https://t.co/jTHOeH48Wx
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 13, 2023
Does this mean that the soap opera is over? As you will see, at the beginning of this news I have stated it conditionally, that is, that in reality there is still an important aspect that has to be resolved. As we already told you, a few days after the CMA gave its provisional approval, the US FTC, which has been the other major regulator that has opposed the purchase of Activision Blizard Kinf by Microsoft, reactivated the internal trial with the which aims to decide whether or not the operation complies with the US regulatory framework.
So, today is a day of celebrations at Microsoft, but not necessarily the end of the problems. On the one hand there is what I just mentioned, the possible opposition by the FTC to the purchase once it has been completed. But we must also remember the complicated situation in which Activision Blizzard King found itself before the merger plans were made public, due to the terrible revelations about the company’s toxic work culture, a situation that put the still CEO, Bobby Kotick , in the spotlight, drawing criticism from across the industry, including Phil Spencer.
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