This is the end of the longest soap opera in the gaming industry. At the end of this week, Microsoft may officially complete the deal with Activision Blizzard. In this situation, statements were made by representatives of almost all the corporations involved.
In January 2022, Microsoft announced its desire to acquire Activision Blizzard, and that day the battle began. At first, we saw a “silent war” as corporate lawyers traveled from country to country to prove their case: some spoke of the positive consequences of the merger, others openly foreshadowed the end of healthy competition.
Microsoft has already received the approval of the European Commission, but in recent days there has been a trial in which the US court had to confirm whether the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will harm the players. The FTC lost, so the Redmond giant can complete the deal.
In this regard, representatives of the relevant corporations issued statements – Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, is grateful for the quick decision:
We are grateful to the San Francisco court for such a prompt and thorough decision and hope that other courts will continue to work towards a timely settlement. As we have consistently demonstrated throughout the process, we are willing to work creatively and collaboratively to resolve regulatory issues.
Phil Spencer also sent out a statement emphasizing that this merger is meant to help gamers from the get go. At the end, the head of the Xbox brand added the eloquent “This is the end”:
We are grateful to the court for the speedy decision in our favor. Evidence has shown that the Activision Blizzard deal is good for the industry, and the FTC’s statements about changing consoles, multi-game subscription services and the cloud do not reflect the realities of the gaming market. Since we first announced this deal, our commitment to delivering more games to more people on more devices has only grown. We’ve reached a number of deals that will bring Activision Blizzard games, Xbox first-person games, and Game Pass to more gamers than we currently have. We know that gamers around the world are watching this closely, and I’m proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice along the way. THIS IS THE END
Bobby Kotick, chief executive of Activision Blizzard, also shows his satisfaction:
Today, a US federal judge ruled in our favor, dismissing the FTC’s attempt to block our merger with Microsoft. We are grateful to the court for the way it conducted the process and for its thoughtful decision. The US has joined 38 countries where our deal could go ahead – decisions based on facts and evidence that our merger is good for players and competition in the industry. We are optimistic that today’s decision will signal full regulatory approval worldwide and stand ready to work with UK regulators to resolve any remaining issues so that our merger can be completed quickly. We will keep you informed about the progress of our work. Thank you for everything you do for our players, for our company and for each other. Thanks, Bobby
