Microsoft's decision to acquire Activision Blizzard has rocked the gaming industry. The massive deal is worth $68.7 billion and will likely shake up the sector's hierarchy once it is finalized. Microsoft is confident that the deal will push through.
However, it looks like it will be some time before the deal is finalized. Regulators from the European Union have opened an in-depth investigation into the deal involving two of the biggest players in the industry. The probe will assess the likely impact on competition if the deal goes through.
The European Commission started its investigation into the acquisition in September. It had set a November 8th deadline to either approve the deal or start an in-depth review. The regulators chose the latter after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) signaled its intent for a deeper investigation.
According to the statement of the European Commission, the decision was made with the belief that the deal would "significantly reduce competition on the markets for the distribution of console and PC video games, including multi-game subscription services and/or cloud game streaming services, and for PC operating systems."
