Tag: Activision Blizzard - Page 3
News UK CMA Approves Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
It's official!
Microsoft's long dispute with the UK Competition and Markets Authority over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally over! The UK regulator officially approved the deal earlier today, paving the way for the takeover to go through. The CMA confirmed this was on condition of Microsoft selling cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft...
News Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Will 'Avoid Another EU Probe', Suggests Report
Ready to go in Europe
We're still awaiting the announcement that Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard has been completed, but until then, we've got a report from Bloomberg suggesting the EU won't be creating any roadblocks over the next few days. You may recall that
News Activision Blizzard Reveals Plans For Bringing Games To Xbox Game Pass
"We’ve been getting some questions"
It's looking very likely that this will be the week that Microsoft announces the closure of the Activision Blizzard takeover, and ahead of that point, ActiBlizz has taken to Twitter to reveal what Xbox fans can expect on Game Pass. In a nutshell, it seems we won't be getting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or...
News After Almost Two Years, Next Week Could Be The Finale For Xbox's ActiBlizz Takeover
As long as everything goes smoothly
For the best part of two years, we've been hearing how the Pure Xbox community is fed up of the Activision Blizzard acquisition and just wants it to either happen or not happen - and we may be getting our wish in just a few days' time. According to a source over at The Verge, Microsoft appears to be targeting...
News FTC Continues To Challenge Xbox's Takeover Of Activision Blizzard
"How the FTC uses limited taxpayer resources is their decision"
Anyone for a bit of FTC news? Just what you wanted on a Thursday afternoon, eh? Yes, just a few months after the FTC lost its request for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard, the regulator has now resumed its challenge - with plans to move...
News Ubisoft CEO Explains Decision To Buy ActiBlizz Cloud Rights From Xbox
"That’s what pushed us to go forward..."
Back in August, it was revealed that Microsoft had struck a deal for Ubisoft to buy the cloud gaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles, and now Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed what "pushed us to go forward with the deal". Speaking to the Financial Times this week, Guillemot enthused about the...
News CMA Approval A 'Significant Milestone' Towards Xbox Merging With Activision Blizzard
"This approval is critical to completing our merger"
Today has brought welcome news in regards to Xbox's ActiBlizz deal, with the UK CMA now approving the acquisition - pending input from various third party companies that took part in the investigation. While the purchase hasn't been completed just yet, both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard feel...
News UK CMA Grants 'Preliminary Approval' Of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Purchase
"Microsoft has now substantially restructured the deal"
We're almost there, folks! The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has today announced that it has granted preliminary approval for Microsoft to purchase Activision Blizzard. The CMA's decision still needs to be consulted with any third parties involved in the process, but for all intents...
News Crash Team Rumble Season 2 Crash-Lands On Xbox With All New Co-Op Mode
Party mode is here!
Crash Team Rumble Season 2 is now live following the game's launch earlier this summer, and a new four-player party mode is the headlining feature for the game's second season. 'Party Mode' lets players "take a breather from competitive matches" with its five distinct mini-game rounds that have more of a co-operative flair...
Reaction Spyro's New Sales Milestone Gives Us Hope For An Xbox Revival
Come on Phil, make it so!
Activision's Spyro Reignited Trilogy has officially hit 10 million copies sold - a big old achievement for the little old dragon that made its remastered return back in 2018. We're not satisfied with just the remastered trilogy though - we want more Spyro and we hope Xbox has plans for the series' future. Okay, we sound...
News Xbox Boss Warns Of Potential Delays With ActiBlizz Titles On Game Pass
"I want to make sure people know..."
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been talking about Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard this week, admitting that even if the deal goes through in the near future, it may take time to bring ActiBlizz games to Xbox Game Pass. Spencer was questioned by IGN about Call of Duty
News Microsoft Announces Plan To Sell Activision Cloud Gaming Rights To Ubisoft
A major shakeup
Microsoft has announced today that in a bid to convince the UK Competition and Markets Authority to approve the attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard, a major new cloud streaming deal has been struck with Ubisoft. Basically, Microsoft is transferring the cloud streaming rights for all current and future Activision Blizzard...
News Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Deal Approved In Another Country
New Zealand gives it the thumbs up
While we wait for Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard to get approved in the UK, today it's been announced the deal has been given the green light in New Zealand. This was officially passed by the Commerce Commission of New Zealand - meaning Team Xbox has now been granted clearance to acquire "100% of...
News Microsoft Submits Changes To UK CMA Over Its 'Anticipated Acquisition' Of Activision Blizzard
The final level
Microsoft has submitted what is expected to be its final report to the CMA concerning its Xbox Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft's submission was made on July 25th and goes over the CMA's concerns in detail, as stated by the authority in a notice posted today. The UK authority also mentions that such a move is "not a usual part of...
News Microsoft CEO: Xbox Remains 'Confident' About Activision Blizzard Acquisition
The deal is almost across the line
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is nearing the finish line according to previous statements made by company heads. If you are in need of some reassurance though, CEO Satya Nadella has now provided an incredibly brief update during the latest earnings report. According to the Microsoft boss, the tech...
News Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Is 'Good News' For Multiple Reasons, Explains Ubisoft CEO
"It really shows the power of IPs"
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed his latest thoughts on Xbox's takeover of Activision Blizzard, commenting in an investor briefing earlier this week that he feels the merger is "good news" for a couple of reasons in particular. Specifically, Guillemot believes that the deal shows how valuable and...
News Blizzard Games Announced For Steam Ahead Of Xbox Acquisition
Overwatch 2 will be the first title added to Valve's service
Xbox head Phil Spencer has already mentioned how Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard would make select games available to more players around the globe, and now in an industry update, Blizzard has announced it will be bringing its own games to Valve's Steam service for the first...
News Xbox Boss: We Could Close ActiBlizz Deal In US, But We're Waiting On UK
"We move even closer to the finish line"
Following today's announcement that Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard has been given a new deadline of October 18th, an email sent by Xbox's Phil Spencer to employees has been revealed by The Verge. In the email, Spencer acknowled
News Xbox Extends Activision Blizzard Takeover Deadline To October
"We're optimistic about getting this done"
It's been announced today by Xbox boss Phil Spencer that Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard now has a deadline of October 18th, as the company continues to try and win over the approval of the UK CMA. Spencer revealed the new deadline on Twitter, reiterating Microsoft's desire to get the...
News Microsoft Activision Blizzard Acquisition Given Greenlight In US After FTC Loses (Again)
"This brings us another step closer to the finish line"
Following FTC's appeal of the previous court ruling permitting Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the US regulator has now lost again. The Federal Trade Commission was also seeking injunctive relief to prevent Microsoft from closing the deal but has been denied by the US Ninth...
News UK CMA Delays Decision On Xbox ActiBlizz Deal Until August
The previous deadline was July 18th
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has announced today that it needs more time to decide on Xbox's latest proposal for the takeover of Activision Blizzard, pushing its deadline back from July 18th to August 29th, 2023. In an official filing on the UK Government website, it's mentioned that there's...
News FTC Appeals Court's Ruling Permitting Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
The regulator refuses to back down
Update [Thu 13th Jul, 2023 03:00 BST]: Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith has now issued a statement, mentioning how the tech giant is "disappointed" by the FTC's appeal. Here's what he had to say: Brad Smith: “The District Court’s ruling makes crystal clear that this acquisition is good for...
News Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Seems Closer, But Some Game Pass Arrivals Could Be Delayed
A recent CMA report mentions COD on Game Pass
Following yesterday's blockbuster news that the FTC's attempted injunction against Microsoft has been denied, the Activision Blizzard deal going through feels closer than ever. Even so, the acquisition is still not confirmed by any means, and a remaining authority that still needs winning over has also...
News Microsoft And UK CMA Agree To Pause Legal Battle Over Activision Blizzard Deal
Update: CMA warns of a potential "new merger investigation"
Update: The CMA has warned that its latest discussions with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are at an "early stage", and a restructured deal could ultimately lead to a "new merger investigation". Here's a statement courtesy of The Verge: "Whilst merging parties don’t have the...
News Xbox's Phil Spencer 'Grateful' For Speedy Court Decision On FTC Activision Blizzard Case
"I’m proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice"
The FTC has just lost its case to block Microsoft's Activision Blizzard purchase, and company executives are already out there on the internet, reacting to the news and providing statements on the matter. One of those execs is Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who has released a multi-post...
News Xbox Wins FTC Court Case As Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction
"The Court DENIES the motion for preliminary injunction"
It's official! Microsoft, Xbox and Activision Blizzard have won their court case against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, as the judge has denied the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction over Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard. Here's a sample from the 53-page...
News Blizzard Reiterates That Diablo 4 Isn't Coming To Xbox Game Pass For Now
Things may change if the ActiBlizz purchase goes through
Back in March, Blizzard confirmed ahead of launch that Diablo 4 wasn't coming to Xbox Game Pass, but the ongoing ActiBlizz deal has continued to stir speculation about its eventual arrival. That speculation came to another infliction point this week when a Brazilian digital retailer listed...
News Xbox Could Expect FTC Injunction Verdict As Soon As Next Week
Hopefully it won't drag out
It's been a crazy week, with all kinds of stories coming out of the highly publicised FTC hearing, but it's finally over! If you weren't aware, the FTC and Microsoft have been in court regarding the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction, requesting more time to make a decision on whether to approve Microsoft's...
News Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
Sony has "defined market competition using exclusives"
Exclusives are arguably one of the main selling points of console gaming, but if Microsoft's boss had any say, he would apparently abolish them. During his testimony in the Microsoft v FTC hearing today, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said he would do away with exclusives on Xbox consoles if it...
News Here's The Email That Set Sony's 'Alarm Bells Ringing' Over Xbox ActiBlizz Deal
"I continue to stand behind the agreement I sent you..."
Update: Well, we don't need to speculate any longer! The Verge's Tom Warren has shared a couple of the emails in question, revealing parts of the exchange between Phil Spencer and Jim Ryan from back in mid-2022. The email from Ryan (dated May 26th, 2022) is extensive, suggesting in his...
News Microsoft Responds To Old Xbox Comment About 'Spending Sony Out Of Business'
"It refers to industry trends we never pursued"
A story that you may have seen doing the rounds on social media over the past few hours relates to an old comment from Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty about the idea of "spending Sony out of business". Naturally, this has attracted a lot of attention, and Microsoft has been keen to address it...
News Microsoft Is Literally Now Saying That Xbox Has 'Lost The Console Wars'
This is already getting ridiculous
It's going to be a long week, folks. Just ahead of the FTC hearing this week in which various Microsoft and Xbox executives will be attempting to defend the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has submitted a filing which actually mentions that Xbox has "lost the console wars" and its rivals are...
News Sony Won't Share Confidential PS6 Details With Activision If Xbox Deal Is Approved
"We simply could not run the risk"
It's going to be a busy week of Activision Blizzard news with the major FTC hearing kicking off today, and something that's come out of it already is a statement from PlayStation boss Jim Ryan about Activision and future console plans. These comments actually date back to April, when Ryan explained to the FTC that...
News Major FTC Hearing Begins This Week With Microsoft & Activision CEOs In Attendance
Along with many Xbox executives
Just a few days ago, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it was filing a request for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, and the hearing is officially set to begin this week. Specifically, the dates that have been officially penned in are June 21st, which is when the...
News New Zealand Regulator Shares Concerns Over Xbox's Activision Blizzard Takeover
"We have agreed an extension of time"
We've got another development in the Activision Blizzard saga! The New Zealand Commerce Commission has officially asked for an extension before making a decision on the takeover, with the date now set as July 17th, 2023. The Commission's concerns are centred mainly around cloud gaming, with a statement...
News Judge Grants FTC's Temporary Restraining Order Against Xbox & Activision Blizzard
Preliminary injunction to be decided later this month
Earlier this week, the FTC filed a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injuction against Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard, and a U.S. Judge has now granted the request for that restraining order. The next step is for the Court to decide about whether to...
News FTC Requests Temporary Restraining Order Against Microsoft & Activision Blizzard
Along with a preliminary injunction
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced that it's filed a request for a temporary restraining order along with a preliminary injunction against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. The FTC, which issued a lawsuit against the ActiBlizz takeover back in December, told IGN today that the restraining order is...
News Microsoft Is Still 'Very Committed' To The Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Xbox boss remains "confident" team will find solutions
At an Xbox panel earlier on titled 'What's Next for Gaming', Xbox boss Phil Spencer provided another update about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, reiterating how Microsoft is "very committed" to seeing the deal through. The team is out there working with regulators to "find solutions"...
Report Microsoft President To Discuss Activision Blizzard Deal With UK Chancellor This Week
A visit to London is on the cards
There's still a lot going on behind the scenes in regards to the UK CMA's decision to block Xbox's Activision Blizzard merger, with Microsoft President Brad Smith meeting to discuss the deal with UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this week. Bloomberg is reporting that Smith is in London to give a scheduled talk about the...
News Xbox's Appeal Against UK ActiBlizz Verdict Set For July 2023
The show goes on
Ever since the CMA made its move to block Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal in the UK, we've known that Microsoft would appeal against the decision. The Xbox owner came out proclaiming as much straight after the decision was made, and we now have a tentative timeline for the appeals process. The UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal is...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Approved By South Korean FTC
Approval stamped
The Asian nation of South Korea is the latest to unconditionally approve Xbox's Activision Blizzard merger, as announced by the country's Federal Trade Commission on May 30th. The South Korean FTC says that it sees no issue with the deal going ahead, ultimately determining that there would be "no risk of substantially restricting...
News European Commission Explains Why It Disagreed With UK CMA Over Xbox ActiBlizz Deal
"Occasionally, we reach decisions that are not aligned..."
Microsoft has officially appealed against the block of its Activision Blizzard takeover in the UK, with the formal process taking place earlier this week. The appeal is being handled by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). This was announced by a Microsoft spokesperson in response to...
News In The Latest Xbox ActiBlizz Twist, China Reportedly Approves Microsoft's Acquisition
Capitalism W?
While Microsoft looks like it has a fight on its hands with the UK CMA — and potentially the US FTC — over its Activision Blizzard acquisition, in a new twist today - China has reportedly approved the deal. According to the financial analysts over at
News 2K Seems To Be Totally In Favour Of Xbox Acquiring Activision Blizzard
It could be a slam dunk
Earlier this week, 2K parent company Take-Two released its latest financial report, and a batch of related Q&As have led to some interesting Xbox tidbits. We already reported on the company's CEO saying we're "probably" going to see mid-gen console upgrades, and the 2K boss also discussed Microsoft's ongoing acquisition...
News UK CMA Encouraged To Promote 'Economic Growth' Despite Reservations Over ActiBlizz Deal
It's all getting rather political isn't it
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...
News Microsoft CEO Raises Eyebrows With Comment About UK & Activision Blizzard
"Let's wait for it all to play out"
Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has been getting a lot of attention over the past few hours courtesy of an interview he recently conducted with CNBC, in which he addressed Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard. In the interview, which was recorded prior to the European C
News UK MPs Question Why The CMA Blocked Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Following EU Approval
The CMA says the EU is "fully entitled to reach that view"
Yesterday brought the latest twist in the Xbox Activision Blizzard tale when the European Commission officially approved Microsoft's attempted merger. They now join a fairly extensive list of regions that are in favour of the deal going ahead, however, as is seemingly becoming the norm in...
News UK CMA Issues Official Response To EU's Activision Blizzard Verdict
"The CMA stands by its decision"
Today's announcement that the European Commission has approved Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover hasn't gone unnoticed by the UK CMA, which itself blocked the takeover just a few weeks ago. In an official statement on social media, the CMA said that it recognised and respected the verdict by the
News EU Makes Microsoft 'Automatically License' ActiBlizz Cloud Games Post-Merger
"This will apply globally", says Microsoft's president
Following today's news of the EU approval over the Xbox Activision Blizzard merger, Microsoft president Brad Smith has quickly made a follow-up statement that makes for interesting reading. While we knew of lots of individual cloud gaming deals that the Xbox owner struck with various companies...
News COD Going Xbox Exclusive 'Would Not Significantly Harm Competition', Says EU
The European Commission weighs in
Well, Xbox's huge Activision Blizzard deal has been officially approved in the EU! The region is happy with the concessions Microsoft has made in regards to cloud gaming, and going off some of the statements in its new report, the European Commission wa
