Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal receives preliminary approval from UK regulator and gains support in FTC appeal

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given preliminary approval for Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, after the deal was restructured to address concerns over cloud gaming. The CMA has opened a consultation period to gather third-party feedback on Microsoft's proposed remedies, with a final decision expected before the October 18th deadline. Both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are optimistic about the outcome and view this as a significant milestone towards completing the merger. The UK is the final regulatory hurdle for Microsoft's massive deal.