Microsoft Gets EC Approval on Activision Blizzard Deal

Big news for gamers! The European Commission (EC) has given its thumbs-up to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This is a major step forward in making the deal happen. So, online Xbox Series X games will be a lot easy to play soon.

Online Xbox Series X Games – What the Approval Means

The EC is in charge of keeping an eye on competition and mergers. They looked at the potential effects of this deal and decided it wouldn’t harm the console market. But they did worry it could affect cloud gaming. Luckily, Microsoft had some good solutions to address these concerns, and the European Commission liked what they heard.

Making Cloud Gaming Better

The EC thinks Microsoft’s solutions will really make cloud gaming much better. They expect this deal to bring lots of improvements to the world of cloud gaming. This is different from what the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) thought when they blocked the deal earlier.

Dealing with Concerns and Being Fair

To ease worries about one company having too much control, Microsoft made some important promises. They agreed to let other cloud gaming services offer Activision Blizzard games for free in the European Economic Area (EEA).

They also said people in the EEA could play their licensed Activision Blizzard games on any cloud gaming service they choose. So this means more options for gamers and fair competition.

Thinking About Competition and Choice

The EC believes Microsoft has no reason to keep Activision Blizzard games away from Sony. After all, Sony is a big player in the console game distribution world.

The Commission thinks that even if Microsoft were to keep games like Call of Duty only on Xbox, Sony would still be able to compete. They’re mostly focused on Europe, where Call of Duty isn’t as popular as in other places.

Helping Growth and Access

The Commission knows that Activision’s games are super popular and can help cloud gaming grow even more. They worry that if Microsoft only lets their own cloud gaming service, Game Pass Ultimate, have these games, it would hurt competition.

So, they’re happy that Microsoft promised to let all cloud gaming services in the EEA offer Activision Blizzard games. So this means more platforms to play on and more choices for gamers.

Microsoft’s Commitment to Accessible Gaming

Microsoft really wants games to be easy for everyone to play. They want to break down barriers and let people enjoy their favorite games on any device they like.

Microsoft’s President, Brad Smith, said that this approval means millions of gamers all over the world can play Activision Blizzard games on whatever device they want.

Online Xbox Series X Games – What’s Next?

Even though the EC gave the thumbs-up, there are still some challenges ahead. Microsoft is appealing the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority’s decision, and that could take a few months to sort out. They also need to get a review from the United States Federal Trade Commission.

So, they may have their own concerns about this deal. Clearly, bringing online Xbox Series X games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II to people, is no easy task.