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Microsoft to defend Activision Blizzard acquisition at EU hearing next week

Microsoft is expected to appear next week before a European Union committee to argue why its acquisition of Activision Blizzard should be approved.

TJ Denzer

February 14, 2023 1:05 PM

Image via Microsoft

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It would appear that Microsoft has its next major session to alleviate the concerns of authorities over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week. It was recently confirmed that Microsoft will be appearing before a European Union committee in a private hearing to address anti-competitive fears and argue for approval of its Activision Blizzard deal. It has been suggested that representatives of Sony and PlayStation could also be in attendance during the hearing.

A spokesperson for Microsoft confirmed the hearing and its date in a recent statement, as reported by Reuters. According to Microsoft, the hearing will take place as a private forum on February 21, 2023, next week. There, Microsoft will address a number of concerns put forth by the European Union. Afterwards, Microsoft is expected to offer remedies to concerns for the hearing in order to move the deal forward if the commission is sufficiently convinced of the company’s intentions. According to FOSS Patents, Sony could also be in attendance, as it has fervently suggested that the deal be blocked for the consolidation of power it would give Microsoft in the video game industry, especially in regards to the Call of Duty franchise.

There has been no lack of effort on Microsoft’s part to move the $68.7 billion USD deal forward, originally announced in January 2022. The deal was expected to be closed by Spring 2023, but a litany of concerns have been lobbied by worldwide authorities, including the United States Federal Trade Commission, and the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority. Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick has also been recently vocal about sentiments that the deal should move forward, lest the UK’s economy be hurt if it fails.

Next week should be another major clash for Microsoft as it tries to move the Activision Blizzard deal forward. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor the situation for further updates and details.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.