Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is still in the process of being finalised, and while it might seem frustrating for the team at Microsoft, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says the ongoing discussion surrounding the size of the acquisition is warranted.
In an interview at WSJ Tech Live 2022 earlier this week, Spencer reiterated how Xbox is still very much "focused" on getting approval and was confident the deal would go through. Here's what he had to say (via VGC):
"It might be surprising to people, but I’m not an expert on doing 70 billion dollar deals... But I do know that we’re very focused on getting approval in the major jurisdictions, and I’m spending a lot of time in Brussels, London and with the FTC here in the US."
"I would say the discussions have been very fair and honest. It is a big acquisition, there’s no doubt. Microsoft in its role in the tech industry, is a large tech company, and I do think the discussion around an acquisition of this size is warranted, and I’ve appreciated the time to go spend."
"We’re really focused on getting the deal approved in the markets – I’m confident in that. I was just in London last week, continue to have discussions with all the regulatory boards, and remain confident that we’ll get the deal approved."
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority regulator (CMA) has previously voiced concerns about Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard potentially hurting PlayStation, as well as other competitors in the industry, particularly in regards to Xbox securing the Call of Duty IP.
Phil mentioned earlier this week how Xbox has no plans to pull the plug on Call of Duty on other platforms when the deal goes through, however, explaining how the team wanted to treat the franchise more like Minecraft and make it readily available across multiple platforms.