EU Expected to Greenlight Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

According to a report by Reuters, the European Commission is poised to approve Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard without requiring the tech giant to divest any parts of the company. The decision is reportedly based on Microsoft's prior commitments to make Call of Duty available on multiple platforms, including those owned by rival companies. A Microsoft spokesperson emphasized that this pledge ensures the deal will benefit gamers and developers while promoting market competition. The European Commission is scheduled to make a formal ruling by April 25. If approved, the acquisition would then need to clear only two major regulatory hurdles: an investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority and a lawsuit filed by the US Federal Trade Commission. The CMA has expressed concerns, suggesting it would prefer Microsoft to sell off certain divisions of Activision Blizzard, such as Activision and possibly Blizzard, in order to address competition concerns. However, Microsoft president Brad Smith has shown little interest in this proposal, deeming it unrealistic to carve out specific parts of the company.