Microsoft's Activision Deal Could Be Delayed Amid Further Investigations
The Call of Duty franchise is causing quite a problem for Microsoft before it's even got its hands on it. IF the gaming giant swallows it whole, that could be it for everyone else.
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision isn't going as smooth as it would have liked, and it's safe to say that the billion-dollar deal might yet fall through.
And, it's all down to Call of Duty. The FPS giant franchise is proving to be a heavy stumbling block, as a range of government bodies are probing into the deal, amid claims Microsoft want Call of Duty to be exclusive to Xbox, following an "inadequate" deal with Sony.
Investigations Around Microsoft And Activision To Probe Deep Into 2023
Shortly after PlayStation boss Jim Ryan flew to Brussels, the EU headquarters, to voice his concerns about the deal, more information has come to light regarding the UK government's investigations.
According to CharlieIntel, the process is getting messy, and the investigations are expected to roll out deep into 2023; the UK's probe is benchmarked to be going until at least March 2023. The investigations will mean any takeover deals will have to be delayed until the all-clear is given - if it's given.
The deal has been passed in two countries already though, with Saudi Arabia being joined by Brazil in accepting the takeover as of October 6.
Microsoft Outlines New Regulations Amid Activision Takeover
With the investigations circling the takeover - centralised around the threat of monopolising the competition - Microsoft has now outlined their vision for the deal moving forward. In a new blog post, Phil Spencer claimed, "Choice is equally important to developers. Developers benefit from having a diversity of distribution and business models for their games.!
Spencer continued, "Choice unlocks opportunities for innovation and enables the industry to grow," insinuating that they may be forced to scrap any ideas around platform exclusivity in Activision games. Should Microsoft pass the deal by some point in 2023, it will be in time to enjoy the benefits of Call of Duty's Greatest Hits DLC, which will likely be one of the most popular pieces of premium content Activision has ever rolled out.
