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According to a new report, Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of Call of Duty developer Activision is likely to be approved by European regulators.
Archyde.com reported that officials would approve the deal without forcing Microsoft to sell any of its assets.
But despite approval in Europe, the deal still faces major hurdles, with both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the US’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launching investigations into the takeover.
The CMA has already indicated that it believes the deal will harm players and suggested in a recent statement that the deal is unlikely to be approved without at least some new restrictions.
Microsoft aims to integrate Activision with its Xbox business and boost its Game Pass subscription service.
But critics, including PlayStation, say Call of Duty’s size would make the gaming market unfair, as the size and appeal of the newly combined company would be too great to be able to compete.
Some have suggested that the company may have to divest parts of the company it bought, such as Call of Duty games, to ensure fair competition in games.
Microsoft said it would look at other options – such as licensing its competitors so that Call of Duty isn’t exclusively available on Xbox, for example. Microsoft has suggested that it will commit to making games available on PlayStation and other platforms for a certain period of time, for example.
EU regulators are likely to be satisfied with these licensing deals, Archyde.com reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.