The UK’s Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) is extending the deadline for its closing resolution on Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal by six weeks. The UK regulator was initially planning to announce its resolution on July 18, however after reopening negotiations with Microsoft this week, the CMA can be giving itself till August 29 to look at Microsoft’s options.
The CMA initially blocked the deal in April over considerations about Microsoft dominating the cloud gaming market. Microsoft has since signed numerous cloud licensing offers with Nvidia, Boosteroid, Ubitus, and UK provider EE to make its video games and people from Activision Blizzard obtainable on extra providers than ever. However that also wasn’t ok for the CMA.
In response to a brand new report from Bloomberg, Microsoft is contemplating promoting UK cloud gaming rights to a telecommunications, gaming or Web-based computing firm to appease the CMA’s considerations. The report says {that a} personal fairness firm can also have an interest.
Earlier this week, CNBC additionally reported that “Microsoft supplied the CMA a small and discrete divestiture that the corporate hopes will tackle the regulator’s considerations,” although the report didn’t point out what Microsoft may very well be probably promoting. Whereas the FTC’s newest efforts within the US to dam the deal have been unsuccessful to date, the UK’s CMA seems to be the final impediment.
