Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition to Come Under Deeper Scrutiny by EU – Report

As Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard faces scrutiny by UK’s regulatory body, EU seems to have also started to take a closer look at the deal. According to Politico, the European Commission is launching an investigation into the deal in light of Microsoft having not filed its solutions to the EU’s concerns.

Microsoft had not filed its solutions by the deadline given to the company. In light of this, the European Commission is set to formally announce “phase 2” of its investigation into the deal on November 8.

The UK regulatory body—the Competition and Markets Authority—has been investigating Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard with concerns that the move could lessen competition among gaming platform owners. Microsoft, on the other hand, has rebuked these concerns by stating that Sony’s refusal to allow Game Pass on PlayStation harms the market.

Opinions on the acquisition have been divided across the industry and regulatory bodies. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, for example, believes that the acquisition will be “good for the industry“.