Microsoft Corp’sMSFT $75 billion acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard, IncATVI faced intense scrutiny in Brussels and the U.K., the Financial Times reports.
There were growing concerns that the deal was anti-competitive and would exclude rivals from accessing the blockbuster game Call of Duty.
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority will likely launch an in-depth investigation this week pending remedies from Microsoft as the CMA typically prefers significant concessions in the first phase, Reuters reports.
The regulatory scrutiny comes after Sony Group CorpSONY last week accused Microsoft of misleading the games industry and regulators about its commitments to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles.
Microsoft has assured to continue to make Call of Duty available on other companies’ gaming consoles, like PlayStation, rather than turning it into an exclusive title on Microsoft’s Xbox.
The U.S. Big Techs and Chinese Big Techs are amid intense scrutiny globally for exploiting their influence over the smaller players.
Price Action: MSFT shares traded lower by 0.93% at $243.09 in the premarket on the last check Friday.
