Recently, Microsoft has confirmed that the Chinese competition authority has given the green light to acquire Activision Blizzard. But on the other hand, Microsoft celebrates that 37 countries have already given the go-ahead to the acquisition so far.
Chinese regulators approve Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
China recently gave the green light to Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. With this positive response to the acquisition, it joins the list of nations that have already done so.
It should be recalled that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been the subject of many international antitrust investigations.
Although the initial information was not entirely clear, the decision of the Chinese regulators was made public over the weekend. As a result, Microsoft finally confirmed when it announced that 37 countries now support completing the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
Microsoft confirms that Chinese regulators give the go-ahead for the acquisition
According to Microsoft’s statement, which was republished on journalist Tom Warren’s personal Twitter account, it can be seen how Chinese regulators approved the acquisition; moreover, they have not imposed any conditions for the purchase agreement to be completed.
Microsoft confirms China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has unconditionally approved its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making it the 37th country to support the deal 👇 pic.twitter.com/OZ2DRgCAth
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 19, 2023
On the other hand, Microsoft’s statement clarifies that it has been unconditional approval from China. It is the 37th country to say yes to the purchase after the European Union and Japan supported it. The support from each country on the list represents more than 2 billion people.
Microsoft welcomes China’s backing
Microsoft executives insist that the Chinese regulators’ decision is right. It will allow many gamers worldwide to access the game from any device or console.
In addition, Microsoft representatives have commented that the acquisition, combined with the European Commission’s agreement, will allow gamers worldwide to access the game from virtually any device.
For its part, Microsoft has launched its first game on GeForce Now, Nvidia’s cloud gaming platform. This launch has been made as a sign of its commitment to reach a much wider audience.
Despite having a positive response from Chinese regulators after a long investigation period, Microsoft still has some countries refusing to accept the acquisition.
For example, the United Kingdom has blocked the acquisition; it also considers the approval by the European Union to have been a complete mistake. At the same time, the US Commission has launched a lawsuit to stop the acquisition.
For now, everyone who wants the acquisition to go through must wait to see what Microsoft’s strategies are to convince all countries against it to give the go-ahead.