CEO Bobby Kotick has expressed his concerns over regulatory action, claiming that the UK would become "Death Valley" if the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) shuts down the transaction in the region later this week.
A number of regulatory bodies throughout the world have been deeply scrutinizing the potential of the acquisition since Microsoft announced its intention to buy Activision-Blizzard in a cash transaction worth around $70 billion last January. The UK's CMA is expected to publish its preliminary findings this week.
Bobby Kotick, Activision-Blizzard CEO, was one of the proposals' most prominent supporters.
The CMA will publish its preliminary findings from the review of the acquisition later this week, as well as suggestions for remediation. If required, there will be response hearings from all parties in a late February to early March, followed by a final March 2023 deadline for all parties' responses. The CMA's final report will be published on April 26, 2023.
