Chinese regulators, noted for their rigorous oversight, have finally greenlit Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The video game industry, undoubtedly, is currently set to go on a transformative period. As two power players in the video game industry collide, the implications are substantial and far-reaching.
The proposed acquisition by Microsoft is a sign of new things coming to gaming. Activision Blizzard is the creator of best-selling titles like Diablo, Warcraft, StarCraft, and of course, Call of Duty, which recently enjoyed one of the best launches of any entertainment product in history.
As an amalgamation of a vast assortment of video games under a single umbrella, this move has the potential to reshape the gaming landscape.
But, buying a company as massive as Activision Blizzard isn’t straightforward. China’s regulators might have already given it the green light and so far the EU, but UK’s CMA and the US’ FTC are still two of the largest hurdles that the proposed merger has to overcome.
Still, the unimpeded consent from China (as per Seeking Alpha), which boasts one of the largest gaming communities in the world, brings the buyout a step closer to fruition.
This is a significant development that testifies to the global standing of both the Xbox brand and Activision Blizzard.
As per Microsoft, this acquisition will bring significant benefits to the games, with multiple concessions offered to Nintendo and Sony to guarantee market fairness. As for gamers, they can expect to enjoy more exciting experiences and perhaps even crossovers between the favorite characters of these gaming universes.
As the deal trends positively, everyone is looking forward to what’s next.
Microsoft is currently appealing the UK’s decision. On the other hand, the Federal Trade Commission will reveal its ruling in August.
Most likely, Activision Blizzard will not legally become a part of Microsoft Gaming until at least around this time next year.
At the moment, Blizzard is preparing to launch Diablo 4 on June 5. The upcoming dungeon crawler is the culmination of years of hard work over at Blizzard and the team is confident that it will launch with minimal issues.
