When the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority put the brakes on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard at the end of April, we saw multiple pundits suggest the EU might follow suit. That apparently won’t be the case, however, as Reuters is reporting today on multiple sources who say the EU will, in fact, approve the merger as early as next week.
As readers will recall, Activision-Blizzard and Microsoft brokered the deal back at the start of 2022 following half a year of staggering blows to Activision-Blizzard’s reputation and stock value thanks to multiple harassment and discrimination scandals and related lawsuits, resignations, and sackings. Microsoft was set to buy out ABK to the tune of almost $70B this summer, but regulators around the globe have expressed concerns with Microsoft’s anticipated power in the online gaming space. If the EU approves the deal, the key holdouts would be the UK and the US – unless the right appeasements are offered.
Source: Reuters. Cheers, Roger!
Activision-Blizzard is considered a controversial gaming company owing to a long string of scandals, including the Blitzchung boycott, mass layoffs, labor disputes, pay disparities, sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits, federal settlements, executive misconduct, pipeline issues, messy financials, declining titles, failed partnerships, widespread illegal unionbusting, disastrous management, brain drain, and the still-astonishing revelation that the CEO threatened to have his assistant murdered. As of 2023, the company is being acquired by Microsoft.
