UK expected to say no to Activision Blizzard acquisition – will probably go through anyway-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

The UK isn’t keen (pic: Microsoft)

The UK, and likely the EU as well, are set to say no to Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard, leading to even more concessions.

Whatever Microsoft’s best case scenario was for its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, we think it’s fair to say it hasn’t happened.

A few countries, Brazil being the most significant, have already okayed the deal but the UK, EU, and US have all been considerably more sceptical about it, and new reports suggest that the UK has now decided that it’s definitely a bad idea – even though it hasn’t yet made an official proclamation.

However, that doesn’t mean the deal isn’t going to go through. Instead, it’s expected to lead to another round of concessions from Microsoft, although given what they’ve already said about Call Of Duty staying multiformat they haven’t got much else to give up.

The concern for most countries is that Microsoft will gain too much power in the industry, with the ability to make Call Of Duty, or any other Activision Blizzard franchise, exclusive.

Microsoft has given a lot of verbal assurances that that won’t happen, while trying to paint itself as a long-suffering industry underdog, but the concessions it’s expected to make for the UK will put some of these in writing.

The primary one is that Call Of Duty will remain on PlayStation 5 for at least 10 years. Although the fine print will be important, as Microsoft could easily still make a lot of important DLC exclusive – in order to push people towards the Xbox and PC versions.

According to a report in The New York Times, Microsoft’s legal team now fully expects the UK to oppose the acquisition, however they don’t seem that bothered by the fact.

Instead, they think the UK and EU will accept its concessions and ultimately approve the deal, which in turn will set them up for the main showdown with the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

That will be their most difficult hurdle, but if they can go into it with approvals from both the UK and EU, despite them previously having been hostile to it, then there’s little chance it won’t be approved in the US as well.

Call Of Duty is still the main sticking point (pic: Activision)

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