Britain’s competition watchdog sharply denied the news, approved by the European Commission Microsoftsuggested Activision Blizzard acquisition.
On Monday, The EU has confirmed that it has approved the dealafter Microsoft agreed to fulfill a number of commitments related to the cloud gaming market.
The decision comes shortly after Britain’s competition regulator moved to block the $69 billion deal argued that it would stop the global takeover.
The UK regulator is seen as one of the most influential in deciding the deal’s fate, alongside the EU and the US.
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Responding to the EU’s decision on Monday, Sarah Cardell, director general of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), suggested the EU Commission had erred in approving the deal.
“The UK, US and European competition authorities are unanimous that this merger will harm competition in cloud gaming,” Cardell wrote. “The CMA has concluded that cloud gaming must continue to be a free, competitive market to drive innovation and choice in this fast-growing sector.
“Microsoft’s proposals, adopted today by the European Commission, will allow Microsoft to set the conditions for this market for the next ten years. They will replace a free, open and competitive market with one subject to constant regulation of the games Microsoft sells, the platforms on which it sells them, and the terms of sale.
“This is one of the reasons why the CMA’s independent panel rejected Microsoft’s proposals and blocked this deal. While we recognize and respect that the European Commission is entitled to take a different view, the CMA stands by its decision.”
While an EU investigation into the deal agreed that it could harm competition in game distribution via cloud game streaming services, it said it had agreed to new licensing obligations to ease concerns, with a 10-year term.
This includes a free license for consumers in the EEA that will allow them to stream via any cloud game streaming service of their choice all current and future Activision Blizzard games PC and console games for which they are licensed.
Microsoft will also offer a corresponding free license to cloud game streaming service providers to allow EEA gamers to stream any Activision Blizzard games for PC and consoles.
Under the supervision of the Commission, an independent trustee will be assigned to monitor the enforcement of these remedies.
Microsoft and Activision have previously confirmed their intention to appeal the CMA’s decision, which the former has called “bad for Britain” and the latter is marked as “irrational”.