New Zealand: Opened consultation on Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard

On 20 June 2023, New Zealand’s Commerce Commission issued a Statement of Issues and opened a consultation concerning the application filed by Microsoft seeking authorization to acquire Activision Blizzard until 4 July 2023. In the Statement of Issues, the Commerce Commission outlines the potential competition issues that may arise from the acquisition. The Commission will focus its investigation on whether the transaction is likely to substantially lessen competition due to vertical effects in the distribution of video games for cloud gaming services.