Currently, Microsoft is looking to appeal a recent CMA decision which blocked the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by the gaming titan. However, should that appeal end in failure, it could be another decade before Microsoft can try buying the Call of Duty publisher again.
The CMA's decision and its aftermath have been the subject of a massive ResetEra thread, which also points out that per article 11.29 of the final report, normal practise would see a prevention of the merger for the next ten years.
Specifically, the article reads: "Prohibition would be affected by accepting undertakings under section 82 of the Act or making an order under section 84 of the Act, prohibiting the Merger and preventing the Parties from attempting to merge for a further period: our normal practice would be to prevent a future merger between the Parties for the next ten years, absent a change of circumstances."
This means that Microsoft is relying a lot more on the appeal than we first assumed, and that the deal is in much more peril should this appeal fail.
Do you think the deal is dead?