The UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is concerned that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard could “substantially lessen competition” in consoles, multi-game subscription services, and cloud gaming services.
According to a public notice from the CMA, it is concerned that should Microsoft purchase Activision Blizzard, it would harm rivals by refusing access to the company’s games, such as Overwatch or Call of Duty, or providing access on bad terms.
The CMA said it received evidence about the “potential impact” of combining Activision Blizzard with Microsoft’s broader ecosystem. It feels the latter could “leverage Activision Blizzard’s games” with its strength across console, cloud, and PC operating systems to “damage competition in the nascent market” for cloud gaming services.
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