It appears that Microsoft is gearing up to finalize the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion next week, specifically on Friday the 13th, in a process that has already spanned 20 months. This information was disclosed by a source from The Verge.
However, the date still hinges on the decision of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which blocked the purchase earlier this year citing concerns about competition in the cloud gaming market. Microsoft recently restructured the agreement to transfer the rights of current and future cloud games from Activision Blizzard to Ubisoft, securing preliminary approval in the UK in September.
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The British regulatory body has a deadline expiring today, during which it gathered opinions on whether or not to allow Microsoft to proceed with the merger. A final decision is expected next week, and barring any last-minute surprises, Microsoft is likely to successfully conclude the deal.
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard recently extended the deadline of their agreement to October 18th, but if Microsoft manages to close the deal next week, it will conclude a 20-month process of regulatory approvals and battles in Europe and the US slightly ahead of schedule.
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