Activision Blizzard Executive Calls European Approval of Microsoft Activision Merger “Unbiased” & “Pragmatic”
Activision Blizzard executive Lulu Cheng Meservey has taken to Twitter to comment on yesterday's approval by the European Commission of the planned merger between Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard.
Yesterday, the European Union regulator approved Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, stating that the remedies that Microsoft has offered, will improve the state of cloud gaming compared to the current situation. Quite interesting, especially if you consider that last month, UK regulator CMA blocked the megadeal by saying that the deal will give Microsoft an unfair advantage in the cloud gaming sector. Following the publication of the European Commission's decision yesterday, the CMA commented on the approval by reiterating that the merger would hurt the competition in the cloud gaming market. "This is one of the reasons the CMA’s independent panel group rejected Microsoft’s proposals and prevented this deal", the CMA wrote yesterday. "While we recognize and respect that the European Commission is entitled to take a different view, the CMA stands by its decision.”
On Twitter, the generally outspoken Lulu Cheng Meservey has now also shared her thoughts about the European approval, mentioning that Activision-Blizzard is happy with the EU's "unbiased" and "fact-driven" approach. "Today the European Commission approved our merger with Microsoft (subject to strict remedies) to ensure robust competition continues in our rapidly growing industry", Meservey wrote on Twitter.
She added, "And with the EU’s firm yet pragmatic, unbiased, and fact-driven approach to regulation, we expect these European teams to continue delivering growth and innovation going forward."
After the CMA ruled against the planned merger last month, the Activision-Blizzard executive already expressed her obvious disappointment by saying that the regulator's report is a major setback for the UK's ambitions to be a tech hub. She also wrote, "This report is also a disservice to UK citizens, who face increasingly dire economic prospects, and we will need to reassess our growth strategy in the UK. Global innovators large and small will take note that - despite all its rhetoric - the UK is closed for business"
We'll update you as soon as more information about the heavily-debated transaction comes in. For now, stay tuned.
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