UK antitrust watchdog probes Microsoft's planned $69-bn Activision buy

The UK antitrust watchdog kicked off an investigation into Microsoft’s planned purchase of Activision Blizzard joining other regulators in scrutinising the $69 billion gaming deal.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will consider whether the deal to combine the tech giant with the maker of the Call of Duty franchise, will harm competition and lead to higher prices or reduced choice. The regulator has set itself an initial deadline of September 1 to decide whether to launch an in-depth investigation.

The CMA has long advoc­ated for a more forceful ap­proach to reviewing deals, particularly by the biggest tech firms. Regulators are likely to look closely at how Microsoft’s ownership of Activision could harm rivals by limiting their access to the company’s biggest games.