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Xbox Fans Spam The UK’s CMA Twitter After Ruling Against Activision Blizzard Merger

By  |  May 2, 2023

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority rejected Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard due to concerns about potential effects on competition in the video games sector. Despite initial expectations that the deal would be approved, it was ultimately blocked over issues related to cloud gaming.

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    Both parties involved in the deal have expressed their commitment to ensuring its success. However, some individuals have raised concerns about the involvement of the CMA with Sony, alleging that the deal was blocked on a minor technicality. These individuals are known to engage in console wars, which may impact the validity of their claims. In response to the CMA’s decision, it appears that the authority’s Twitter account is being spammed.

    On the CMA’s social media account, there are replies from Xbox fans that are accusatory, even on a tweet unrelated to Google’s Privacy Sandbox commitment.

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

    The replies continue to flood in on a tweet about the CMA’s Economics Returners Programme. One commenter expressed their belief that the current staff at the organization is insufficient after a recent decision that allowed Sony to maintain their dominance in the console market, as well as the Apple and Google duopoly in the mobile phone market, under the guise of promoting market openness.

    However, the bulk of the spam is on any Tweet that mentions Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. A thread that attempts to explain its reasons for blocking the deal received a lot of negative replies.

    “Lol, utterly desperate stuff,” said one. “The whole UK gaming market was worth £7.05 billion in 2022 – tell me how much of that was purely Microsoft vs Sony/Nintendo. It’s like you were looking for the flimsiest excuse to clock it at any cost and cloud gaming is what you landed on.”