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President Of Microsoft Says Confidence In UK ‘Severely Shaken’

By  |  April 27, 2023

Brad Smith of Microsoft expressed his belief that the move was detrimental to Britain and a low point for the company’s four decades of operations in the country during an interview with the BBC.

The regulator explained that their actions were based on what would benefit people rather than merging firms with commercial interests, reported Reuters. 

The multi-billion dollar deal cannot proceed globally due to the UK’s decision.

Related: UK Watchdog Blocks Microsoft’s $75B Activision Blizzard Deal

Although US and EU regulators have yet to decide on whether to approve the deal, the UK regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said: “Activision is intertwined through different markets – it can’t be separated for the UK. So this decision blocks the deal from happening globally.”

The proposed acquisition of popular game titles including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft by Microsoft in a $68.7bn (£55bn) deal did not receive approval, which would have been the biggest takeover in the gaming industry’s history.

Both Microsoft and Activision have announced their intent to appeal the decision made by the CMA.