UK Regulatory Body Extending Investigation into Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Eight Weeks

In the latest chapter of various regulatory bodies taking a closer look at Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has announced that it will be extending its investigation into the deal.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the CMA has announced the extension of its investigation owing in large part to how complex the case has become. The CMA needs time to process the “large volume of evidence, as well as main party and third party submissions.”

As a result of this extension, the regulatory body has announced that it will need an additional eight weeks to process the evidence. While the CMA is trying to complete its report as soon as it can, it has set a deadline of April 26 for its report.

“In taking this decision, the inquiry group had regard to the scope and complexity of the investigation and the need to consider a large volume of evidence, as well as main party and third party submissions, the necessity to allow sufficient time to take full and proper account of comments that will be received in response to the Inquiry Group’s provisional findings in due course, and to reach a fully reasoned final decision in the statutory timeframe,” said the CMA.

Alongside the CMA, the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard is currently also under scrutiny from other regulatory bodies, including the European Commission, and the US Federal Trade Commission, which recently revealed that there have been no substantive settlement talks between the company and the FTC.