Microsoft is currently fighting to appeal a decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who voted to block the deal. Credit: Getty Images / Anadolu Agency / Contributor

Gaming giant Activision Blizzard has been granted permission to aid Microsoft in its fight to overturn the blocking of its $69bn takeover by the UK’s anti-trust regulator. 

Microsoft is currently fighting to appeal a decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who voted to block the deal over concerns of stifling competition in the nascent cloud gaming market. 

Related Company Profiles

View all

The new permission means that Activision will be able to state its case alongside Microsoft at the Competition Appeal Tribunal next month.

“We remain fully committed to this acquisition and will appeal,” Microsoft president Brad Smith said at the time. 

“The CMA’s decision rejects a pragmatic path to address competition concerns and discourages technology innovation and investment in the United Kingdom,” he added. 

The decision was met with criticism from both companies, who saw the blocking as a sign that UK was stifling technology firms. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Microsoft’s president Brad Smith told BBC Radio in April: “If the government of the United Kingdom wants to bring in investment, if it wants to create jobs (…) it needs to look hard at the role of the CMA, the regulatory structure in the United Kingdom, this transaction, and the message that the United Kingdom has just said to the world.”

The CMA was accused by Microsoft’s lawyers of being a global “outlier” for its decision to block the takeover.

The European Commission, which also investigated the deal, decided to approve it after stating its concerns had been addressed. 

However, like the UK, the US Federal Trade Commission has also decided to block the deal. This is also under appeal. 

GlobalData is the parent company of Verdict and its sister publications.