Tech giant Microsoft has had an uphill battle in its attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard thus far, but new information published by the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) shows that there are a number of gaming companies that support the deal. Microsoft has endured harsh opposition from Sony with the latter company claiming that the merger would "irreparably harm competition" since it would include the massively popular Call of Duty franchise.Microsoft has signed deals with a number of platforms promising to make Call of Duty available on them for the next ten years. While companies like Nintendo have taken up Microsoft's offer, Sony has remained steadfast in its opposition, going so far as to claim that Microsoft could purposefully release buggy versions of Call of Duty on PlayStation to harm the console's sales in the future.The CMA has published responses from six game studios that support the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The companies are not named, except for Dundee-based 4J Studios. The responses range from fairly positive to outright supportive, with one company simply saying that they don't believe the deal would negatively impact competition especially due to Microsoft's commitment to making Call of Duty available on all platforms, while another company goes so far as to say that Sony's concerns are "out of proportion." Yet another response from the anonymous Market Participant E states that it's sales are stagnating on PlayStation, and that it has been able to reach a wider audience than ever on Xbox.
There was only one respondent opposing the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard; it should come as no surprise that this respondent is none other than Sony. The CMA has not yet made a final decision regarding the deal, but at this point it seems that gaming studios in the UK are overwhelmingly supportive of the move. The statutory deadline set by the CMA April 26, 2023. In the interim, Microsoft seems to be offering ten-year deals to just about anyone including regional game streaming platforms like Ukraine-based Boosteroid.
As the saga that is Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal drags on, it is unlikely that Sony will soften its stance against its main competitor in the console space. On another front, Valve has rejected Microsoft's offer guaranteeing that Call of Duty will be available on Steam for the next ten years, saying instead that it has good faith in Microsoft and that it doesn't believe that a contract is necessary. Valve's curious response is yet another blow to Sony's arguments against the acquisition.