EU backs Microsoft buying Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. But the $69B deal is still at risk
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The European Union on Monday approved Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, deciding the deal won’t stifle competition for popular console titles like Call of Duty and accepting the U.S. tech company’s remedies to boost competition in cloud gaming. The deal, sweetened by Microsoft's promises to free up licensing conditions for cloud gaming, “would no longer raise competition concerns and would ultimately unlock significant benefits for competition and consumers,” said the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm and top antitrust watchdog. The commission approved the deal after accepting Microsoft’s offer to modify its licensing agreements to allow users and any cloud gaming platforms to stream its titles without paying any royalties for 10 years. Activision games aren't available on cloud services, but the commission noted that the licensing commitments could expand the cloud gaming market “by bringing Activision’s games to new platforms, including smaller EU players, and to more devices than before.” The EU decision is at odds with the stance taken by British antitrust regulators, who last month upended the biggest tech deal in history over concerns it would stifle competition in the small but rapidly growing cloud gaming market.