As we reported earlier today, CMA in UK has decided to block the purchase of Activision Blizzard, something Microsoft says they will appeal. Now the boss of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, has shared his statement on this decision and says it's "far from the final word":
"This isn't the news we wanted - but it is far from the final word on this deal.
Alongside Microsoft, we can and will contest this decision, and we've already begun the work to appeal to the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal. We're confident in our case because the facts are on our side: this deal is good for competition.
The UK hopes to grow its leadership position in technology, and a combined Microsoft-Activision would accomplish exactly that. At a time when the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence are thriving, we know the UK market would benefit from Microsoft's bench strength in both domains, as well as our ability to put those technologies to use immediately. By contrast, if the CMA's decision holds, it would stifle investment, competition, and job creation throughout the UK gaming industry."
Kotick also says this deal would ultimately be good for pretty much everyone involved - and the players:
"We'll keep pressing our case, because we know that this merger will benefit our employees, the broader UK tech workforce, and players around the world."