U.K. Probes Microsoft’s $69 Billion Purchase Of Activision

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(Bloomberg) -- The UK antitrust watchdog kicked off an investigation into Microsoft Corp.'s planned purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. joining other regulators in scrutinizing the $69 billion gaming deal.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday it will consider whether the deal to combine the technology giant with the maker of the Call of Duty franchise, will harm competition and lead to higher prices or reduced choice. The regulator said it will work with counterparts around the world and set itself an initial deadline of Sept. 1 to decide whether to launch an in-depth investigation.

The CMA has long advocated for a more forceful approach to reviewing deals, particularly by the biggest technology companies. Regulators are likely to look closely at how Microsoft's ownership of Activision could harm rivals by limiting their access to the company's biggest games.

The Federal Trade Commission is also examining the deal, chair Lina Khan told lawmakers in June.

“We have been clear about how we plan to run our gaming business and why we believe the deal will benefit gamers, developers, and the industry,” Lisa Tanzi, Microsoft's general counsel, said. “We're committed to answering questions from regulators and ultimately believe a thorough review will help the deal close with broad confidence, and that it will be positive for competition.”

She said the firm expected the deal to close in 2023.

A spokesperson from Activision did not immediately respond.

The FTC's Activision investigation will focus on the combination of the company's gaming portfolio with Microsoft's consoles and hardware systems. Lawmakers have also urged the FTC to closely examine how the proposed deal would impact workers at Activision, who have called for greater accountability at the company in the wake of sexual harassment and discrimination allegations.

Microsoft wants Activision so it can bolster the number of games it can exclusively offer subscribers to its Game Pass subscription service for Xbox consoles. Activision is home to some of the most popular game franchises in the world, including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Guitar Hero, Skylanders, Destiny, Crash Bandicoot and the Tony Hawk skateboarding titles. The publisher is a major player in mobile gaming, while Microsoft is at best on the sidelines. The deal would address this significantly.

Activision isn't the only target Microsoft had as part of its Game Pass expansion plan. In 2020, it agreed to acquire ZeniMax Media Inc., home to The Elder Scrolls and Doom publisher Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion. It also owns Mojang, the creator of Minecraft.

(Updates with comment from Microsoft spokesperson in fifth paragraph.)

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