European Commission Greenlights Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

The European Commission has granted its final approval for Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, following the company's commitment to address concerns in the cloud gaming market. After conducting an in-depth investigation, the commission found that some initial concerns were unfounded, including the potential for Microsoft to withhold games from PlayStation consoles in Europe. However, it did identify potential harm to competition in cloud gaming services and the strengthening of Microsoft's grip on PC operating systems. To mitigate these concerns, Microsoft has offered a 10-year commitment to provide a free license for consumers in the European Economic Area to stream Activision Blizzard games through their chosen cloud streaming service. Additionally, Microsoft will provide a free license to cloud streaming services, enabling players to stream Activision Blizzard games. Both commitments aim to ensure that streaming games have the same quality and content as traditionally downloaded titles. An independent trustee will monitor Microsoft's compliance with these remedies. Despite this approval, the deal still faces obstacles in the UK and US, where regulatory bodies have raised concerns about the impact on competition in the cloud gaming market.