Microsoft must obtain approvals from several regulators for its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard to be validated. Today, Chile gave the green light. But there is still much work to be done in other parts of the world.
Fiscalía Nacional Económica, the Chilean regulator, says it has approved Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard. He explains that with other major video game companies such as Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Ubisoft and others, competition is still plentiful. Such an acquisition does not pose a problem for him.
Lulu Cheng Meservey, an Activision executive, reacted at green light:
The Chilean competition authority, FNE, has just approved our acquisition of Microsoft, joining regulators in other countries who have also recognized the benefits of the transaction for competition and players. As other responsible regulators review the facts, we expect more approvals like this one.
To date, Brazil has validated the purchase, as have Saudi Arabia, Serbia and thus Chile. Microsoft still needs to get approval from various countries, and many regulators are currently in the final stages of reviewing the deal, including the European Commission and the CMA in the UK. Microsoft has also been challenged in the US by the FTC, which is trying to block the deal. Suffice it to say, Microsoft still has work to do to convince the biggest regulators.