China has approved Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, joining 37 approval bodies and organizations including the European Union and Japan.
The news first appeared today on the site SeekingAlpha Via Dealreporter, and has since been confirmed via a Microsoft spokesperson statement sent to IGN:
China’s unconditional approval of our acquisition of Activision Blizzard follows clearance decisions from jurisdictions such as the European Union and Japan, bringing the total to 37 countries and entities representing more than two billion people. The acquisition will build on our recent commitments to the European Commission, enabling consumers around the world to play more games on more devices.
This news comes a few days after the European Commission approved the deal in the European Union, and the only dissenting voice so far remains the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which did not approve the deal on the basis of its ability to allow Microsoft to monopolize the cloud gaming market.
The deal has yet to be approved in the US, as the Federal Trade Commission prepares to give its opinion in August.
