The US software company, which announced the deal in January, is betting that Activision’s gaming stable will help it better compete with leaders Tencent and Sony, with the latter criticizing the deal. “The Commission’s preliminary investigation shows that the transaction may significantly reduce competition in the markets for the distribution of console and PC video games, including subscription multiplayer services and/or cloud game streaming services, as well as for computer operating systems,” the European Commission said. Commission. a statement. “Preliminary investigation indicates that Microsoft may have the ability, as well as a possible financial incentive, to engage in exclusionary strategies against competing distributors of Microsoft’s console video games,” it added. Microsoft said it would work with the EU antitrust authority to address valid concerns about the market. “Sony, as an industry leader, says it’s concerned about Call of Duty, but we’ve said we’re committed to making the same game available on the same day on both Xbox and PlayStation. We want people to have more access to games, not less,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. The EU’s competition watchdog said it would decide by March 23, 2023 whether to clear or block the deal. Reuters reported on October 31 that Microsoft will face an extensive EU investigation after it refused to offer remedies during the EU’s preliminary review of the deal. Britain’s antitrust agency is also monitoring the takeover, with similar concerns to its EU counterpart.
