UK launches antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s $69B proposed Activision acquisition
https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/06/uk-launches-antitrust-investigation-into-microsofts-69b-proposed-activision-acquisition/
One more hurdle up ahead for Activision Blizzard, the games giant behind “Call of Duty” that Microsoft is looking to acquire for $68.7 billion. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has announced a formal investigation into the proposed deal. This opens the investigation up for feedback from “any interested party” ahead of the CMA deciding whether to embark on a phase-2, deeper enquiry into whether the deal is anticompetitive and represents antitrust violations in the U.K. Those interested parties have until September 1 to respond.
Areas that it will be assessing include whether the deal leads to higher prices, lower quality, or reduced choice in games and the gaming ecosystem.