UK blocks Microsoft and Activision merger, the president attacks the British government

2023-04-27 14:18:56

Microsoft chairman Brad Smith has harshly attacked the British government after the UK communications regulator stopped the purchase by the tech giant of Activision Blizzard, the video game publisher that Microsoft has announced it wants to absorb for 68.7 billion dollars. The UK has blocked the deal over monopoly and free competition issues, but Smith told the BBC that the move is bad for the UK, and that today is the worst day in Microsoft’s four-decade history. England. If the deal goes through, Microsoft would suddenly find itself the sole owner of brands such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft, with a potential exclusion of all other gaming platforms other than Xbox and PC (although Activision has said several times that he wants to continue releasing at least Call of Duty on all consoles). If the US and Europe have yet to decide whether to approve the purchase, the exclusion of the United Kingdom means that the agreement between Microsoft and Activision will not be global. “The message is clear: the European Union is much more attractive for starting a business than the UK. The real loser is the UK,” said the Microsoft president.