Today, the CMA in the UK announced that it has given preliminary approval to the merger between Microsoft and Activision. A final decision will be made in the next few weeks, after which the companies will be able to complete the deal in all regions, including the UK, if the decision is positive.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick considers today’s decision by the CMA on the deal to be decisive. He sent a letter to the publishing house employees, the text of which is given below:
Team.
I want to share important news about our planned merger with Microsoft.
Today, the UK regulator, the CMA, granted preliminary approval to our merger with Microsoft based on decisions submitted by Microsoft. This approval is critical to the completion of our merger. The CMA’s next step is to gather feedback from third parties before the regulator makes a final decision.
As I said when we announced the deal, this deal will help us accelerate our ambitions for the future of gaming and allow us to better serve our players. Microsoft recognizes the commitment to excellence and creative independence that has served us well over the past 30 years. I’m confident that their resources, technologies and tools will give us even more opportunities to create better games.
This is an important milestone in our merger journey and demonstrates our commitment to addressing regulatory concerns by working together. I remain optimistic as we continue toward completion and am so grateful to each and every one of you for your dedication and focus throughout this process. As regulators continue their process, I will keep you updated on our progress toward the expected closing of the transaction.
Let’s remember that Microsoft decided to restructure the cloud gaming business in the UK to close the deal, transferring the rights to Ubisoft.
