Microsoft Addresses Activision Blizzard Acquisition at Brussels Press Conference

Following a private hearing with the European Commission, Microsoft is engaging with the media as the company attempts to secure regulatory approval for its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The $68.7 billion deal is facing regulatory hurdles in Europe, the UK, and the US. To provide context, Microsoft initially proposed the acquisition in January, and it is currently under review by global competition regulators. The primary regulators in the US, Europe, and the UK have expressed opposition to the deal. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission is taking Microsoft to court to block the acquisition. Meanwhile, in the UK and Europe, Microsoft must present remedies to address concerns surrounding the deal's potential anti-competitive impact. Key concerns include the potential exclusivity of Call of Duty on Xbox, which could lead to a significant migration of players from PlayStation to Xbox, as well as Microsoft's dominant position in the video game subscription and streaming markets. The company has pledged to maintain content parity for Call of Duty on PlayStation for ten years and has also committed to releasing the game on Nintendo consoles and via the Steam distribution service on PC. Today, Microsoft will present its case to the European Commission in a closed hearing attended by major industry players, including PlayStation, Nvidia, and Google, along with other gaming companies.