Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Will Reportedly be Approved by UK Regulator This Week

Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been under investigation by regulatory authorities for quite some time now, but it looks like that process is finally reaching the finish line. One of the biggest potential stumbles it could have faced would have been if the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had taken issue with the deal and its impact on the industry, but it seems like that’s unlikely to happen.

That’s according to report by the Financial Times, which claims that on Wednesday, April 26, the UK’s CMA will declare its final ruling on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and that the deal is likely to be approved.

Earlier this year, in its initial findings, the CMA expressed concern that the acquisition could “harm gamers” in the UK and have a detrimental impact on competition in the industry, though last month, the agency said that after having considered relevant evidence, it no longer felt that the deal would “result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services.” In response, Sony said it found the CMA’s stance “surprising, unprecedented, and irrational.”

Meanwhile, the European Commission will also be sharing its final ruling regarding the proposed acquisition in under a month, and according to reports, the deal is likely to be approved.