Since the CMA decided to try and block Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal in the UK, we've been left a little unsure as to where the whole saga will go next. The EU has now approved the deal which at least paints a slightly rosier picture for Microsoft, but here in the UK and over in the U.S. it all seems up in the air right now. However, since the European Commission passed the deal, pressure seems to be mounting on British shores.
Following UK MPs questioning the CMA over its current decision, the government's chancellor Jeremy Hunt has weighed in on the deal and how things are going. Hunt hints that the authority should "understand their wider responsibilities for economic growth" - even if it's the CMA's job to, you know, regulate the market.
"I think one of the reasons that companies like Microsoft and Google want to invest in the UK is because we have independent regulators that are not controlled by politicians and therefore they can be confident there will be a level playing field.
I would not want to undermine that at all, but I do think it’s important all our regulators understand their wider responsibilities for economic growth."
However, the UK chancellor also understands the CMA's job, saying that the talk shouldn't be squarely focused on pushing deals through for the sake of it - the country wants to ensure that competition matters.
"But for our tech sector, it isn’t just about being able to get through big deals, competition really matters."
Basically, we seem to have a bit of fence sitting from the chancellor here, but from afar it does seem like the UK political system is trying to put pressure on the CMA to closer follow the EU's ruling. Will the UK authority cave? Only time will tell.
We do know that whatever the CMA is thinking right now, Microsoft will appeal the initial decision anyway. Apparently, the Xbox owner has hired a very high-level lawyer to help its case!