If you’ve been waiting for all your favorite Activision-Blizzard games to make their way to the Xbox and PC Game Pass, you may have to wait a bit longer. According to the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer,
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have extended the merger agreement deadline to 10/18. We’re optimistic about getting this done, and excited about bringing more games to more players everywhere.
The previous deadline was July 18, 2023, with a last-ditch effort by a group of gamers to delay the merger from happening yesterday.
The CCO of Activision Blizzard, Lulu Cheng Meservey, said,
Update on Activision Blizzard’s merger with Microsoft: agreement deadline extended The recent decision in the U.S. and approvals in 40 countries all validate that the deal is good for competition, players, and the future of gaming.
She went on to say,
Given global regulatory approvals and the companies’ confidence that CMA now recognizes there are remedies available to meet their concerns in the UK, the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft boards of directors have authorized the companies not to terminate the deal until after October 18. We’re confident in our next steps and that our deal will quickly close.
As previously reported, the CMA or Competition and Markets Authority in the UK is the last holdout for the acquisition from taking place.
What is unclear, however, is how this delay may affect the FTC’s case in the United States. Previously, they launched an injunction to delay or block the deal, which a federal judge later struck down. The appeal to that decision is still standing.
The delay in the acquisition will lead the CMA and Microsoft/Activision to come to concessions regarding cloud gaming in the UK.
We’ll continue to follow this story in our news section.
