United Kingdom: Issued CMA Final Report blocking Microsoft/Activision merger
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Issued CMA Final Report blocking Microsoft/Activision merger
On 26 April 2023, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued its Final Report in the investigation into the Microsoft Corporation/Activision Blizzard merger. The CMA did not approve the acquisition. In particular, the CMA stated that the merger would result in a substantial lessening of competition in the cloud gaming market as the basis for blocking the merger. Furthermore, the CMA stated that the commitments proposed by Microsoft regarding its business practices would not ensure competitive dynamism and increase the level of innovation in the cloud gaming market. Finally, the CMA addressed the impact on the competition in the games console market, noting that the acquisition would not have had a negative impact or created barriers for new entities.
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