EU regulator delays decision on Microsoft’s Activision deal after relief offered

The European Commission has extended the deadline for its decision on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for 69 billion dollars.

In a filing on Thursday, the European Union’s competition watchdog said it had pushed back its tentative deadline for ruling on the deal from April 25 to May 22 after Microsoft filed legal remedies in a bid to win its approval.

Although the details of the solutions offered were not disclosed, Microsoft recently announced several partnerships to bring Call of Duty to new console and cloud gaming platforms if the deal is approved.

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“We have stood by our promise to bring Call of Duty to more players on more devices by entering into agreements to bring the game to the Nintendo console and cloud game streaming services offered by Nvidia, Boosteroid and Ubitus,” said a spokesperson for Microsoft to Reuters.

“We are now backing this promise with binding commitments to the European Commission, which will ensure that this agreement benefits players in the future.”

The EU will now seek feedback from competitors and customers before deciding on the merger.

Reuters previously reported that the European Commission was unlikely to require the sale of assets as part of its approval process for the deal.

Three people said to be familiar with the matter argued that the Xbox maker’s willingness to offer game licensing deals to rivals was likely to resolve the EU’s antitrust concerns.

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