What do you want to know
- Microsoft is currently working to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth nearly $69 billion.
- The agreement must be approved by many regulatory authorities in different countries.
- The Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense, or CADE, approved the acquisition without any restrictions.
- The FTC, the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority are currently investigating the deal.
There’s still a long way to go, but Microsoft’s planned purchase of Activision Blizzard is about to be completed.
Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) on Wednesday approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard with a public filing (opens in a new tab). The document (which is of course in Portuguese) indicates that the purchase was approved without any restrictions.
Brazil isn’t the first regulator to approve the deal (Saudi Arabia also has no objections to the purchase), but it’s notable. As part of its investigation, CADE released details of questioning Microsoft, Sony and various third-party companies about how the deal would affect the gaming industry, offering an unusually open back-and-forth as Sony claimed that the deal would influence player choices. , while Microsoft reiterated its intention to keep Call of Duty cross-platform.
It will still be some time before the deal – the largest ever in games, at nearly $69 billion – is finalized, as it has yet to be approved or unchallenged by others. regulators around the world. The FTC in the US is currently investigating the deal, as are the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and, more recently, the European Commission.
In particular, the CMA raised concerns that the deal could stifle competition in the gaming industry. Microsoft Chairman Brad Smith said in response that the company is ready to work with regulators. In case of problem. Meanwhile, Sony CEO Jim Ryan said Microsoft’s proposed terms to keep the behemoth Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation were “inadequate” and praised the CMA for investigating the deal further.
