Canada joins UK and US in questioning Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Buyout

If you haven’t kept up, the FTC – the US antitrust regulator – is currently in a major legal battle with Microsoft regarding its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. It has piled up all kinds of stories, not least of which is the absurd budget of Sony’s biggest games, Microsoft’s plans to buy Square Enix, and much more. Now, another complication has been thrown into the mix. Canada also announced its disapproval of the merger.

As I mentioned Games developerCanada’s Competition Bureau responded to a memo from Microsoft stating that “every regulator worldwide”—with the exception of the UK’s FTC and CMA—approves of the acquisition. CCB’s attorney, Jonathan Petran, called out “factual errors” in this statement.

According to Bitran, the CCB expressed concerns about the well-known deal in May. Although it hasn’t taken things further than the UK and USA, its refusal to merge is another blow to Microsoft and Activision, and has the potential to spell even more trouble for the two companies.

CCB’s thoughts on the matter echo those of other regulators, saying the deal “has the potential to significantly prevent and/or reduce competition with respect to game consoles and multi-game subscription services.”

We are still far from resolving this situation. What are your thoughts on this development? Discuss in the comments section below.