First Activision/Microsoft Approval Gained

We’re another step closer to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision after Saudi Arabia regulators pushed the deal through.

And while that might seem like a small step in the grand scheme of things, it is the first of a raft of approvals that are likely to arrive in the coming weeks.

Microsoft announced back in January that it would be buying the Call of Duty publisher. Internally, Activision staff were told it could take until this financial year to polish off the deal – with an outward date of the middle of next year.

But that seems to be looking increasingly unlikely, and it may be possible the purchase is complete by the end of 2022.

What This Means

It was announced that there are no objections to the merger yesterday evening.

تعلن #الهيئة_العامة_للمنافسة عن عدم ممانعتها من إتمام عملية التركز الاقتصادي بين:
-مايكروسوفت كوربوريشن
-أكتيفيجن بليزارد إنك pic.twitter.com/lo5scC3F7k

— الهيئة العامة للمنافسة (@SaudiGAC) August 21, 2022

On its own, that means very little. Until we get definite answers from the EU and American regulators, there are still question marks. With that said, most of the debate online has centered around misconceptions. It’s unlikely either body will have much problem with this deal. Ultimately, this doesn’t make Microsoft a monopoly and it doesn’t stop any other business from competing in the games industry.

But with that said, it’s not over until its over, and having one regulator (of nearly 20) sign off on the deal has got to be a good thing for Microsoft bosses this morning. It is one less thing to worry about.

It was reported that Saudi Arabia’s investment fund will make over a billion from this sale, and while that doesn’t have any obvious bearing on the decision, expect to see discussion of that in the coming days.

When will the Activision and Microsoft Merger be Complete?

It’s not over until its over. If the Bethesda purchase is anything to go by, there will be a couple of days of rumblings before a blog post confirms the sale has been complete. Rumblings will come from final approvals and stock sales in this case.

Nonetheless, you can expect regular updates. There will be constant conversation about the purchase each step of the way. Each public comment on regulation will be scrutinized to death.

To the real reason many of us are interested: Game Pass. Activision has a library of incredible titles that’ll end up on Game Pass. How fast they arrive will depend on licensing and a host of other things. With that said, expect at least a minor boost on day one. Anything that can come to Game Pass will come to Game Pass. And that counts on PC as much as console.

Remember that Microsoft can’t really go into full detail on their Activision plans until the sale is final. But it’s a safe bet to expect Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 to have some kind of Game Pass presence so long as the deal is final when the games arrive.

Call of Duty is something of a mystery. It seems unlikely the next game will come to Game Pass. It’s possible the next game after that is blocked from the service too. Older games are far more likely. If you’re expecting not to pay extra for Modern Warfare 2, expect disappointment (and be pleasantly surprised if the impossible happens…).