U.S. senators raise concerns over Activision Blizzard deal

By Otto Kratky April 1, 2022

Four U.S Senators have sent a letter to Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), expressing concerns that Activision Blizzard’s pending acquisition by Microsoft has “impeded unionization efforts and undermined workers’ calls for accountability.” The letter, sent by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Cory Booker, asks the FTC to oppose the acquisition if it is found to “enhance monopsony power and worsen the negotiating position between workers and the parties to this deal.”

Prior to and throughout the process of being acquired by Microsoft for a total of $68.7 billion, which far outpaces any previous acquisition in the game industry, Activision Blizzard has found itself under the scrutiny of multiple government organizations. The company recently settled a lawsuit brought forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding claims of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination in the workplace taht created an $18 million fund for claimants.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which first brought allegations of misconduct and discrimination at Activision Blizzard to light, is continuing its case against the company. This case, along with the financial woes it brought to Activision Blizzard, eventually led to Microsoft’s acquisition of the company.

Likewise, Activision has seen a surge in unionization efforts since Microsoft’s announcement that it intends to purchase the gaming giant. In January, 34 QA staffers at Activision’s Raven Software, the developer for the publisher’s hit battle royale title Call of Duty: Warzone, voted to form a union. Activision has since refused to voluntarily recognize that union and reorganized Raven Software’s QA department, spreading many of its members across multiple departments rather than keeping them in one cohesive unit.

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Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…

Gaming

Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition blocked in the U.K. over cloud concerns

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The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked Microsoft's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard because of its potential negative impact on cloud gaming.
Since January 2022, Xbox parent company Microsoft has been trying to acquire Activision Blizzard, the video game publisher behind franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, Warcraft, and Overwatch. The companies have run into lots of regulatory hurdles, though, especially from the CMA and FTC, the latter of which is currently suing Microsoft. While it seemed like the CMA was inching towards approving the deal, the U.K. regulator ultimately decided to block it due to its potential impact on the fledgling cloud gaming market.

"Microsoft has a strong position in cloud gaming services and the evidence available to the CMA showed that Microsoft would find it commercially beneficial to make Activision’s games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service," a press release from the CMA explains. " Allowing Microsoft to take such a strong position in the cloud gaming market just as it begins to grow rapidly would risk undermining the innovation that is crucial to the development of these opportunities."
Over the past couple of months, Microsoft has attempted to ease these cloud gaming concerns by making deals with companies like Nvidia and EE. The CMA did not think these remedies were enough, though, saying that Microsoft's efforts didn't account for enough potential business models, cloud gaming services that don't use Windows, and how the deal could take "the dynamism and creativity of competition" away from the U.K.'s cloud gaming market.
Obviously, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft aren't too happy about this decision. Activision Blizzard directly attacks the CMA in a statement provided to Digital Trends, saying that the "report contradicts the ambitions of the U.K. to become an attractive country to build technology businesses," before calling the country's economic prospects "dire" and threatening that it will reconsider its plans for growth in that country.
Microsoft's statement from Vice Chair and President Brad Smith is a bit more measured, saying that Microsoft is "fully committed to this acquisition and will appeal." Citing the deals the company has already made to bring Call of Duty to more platforms, Smith says that the decision shows "a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works."
https://twitter.com/BradSmi/status/1651182266406584320
Microsoft has a lot of work cut out for itself if it still wants to force this deal through after pressure from the FTC and CMA. As the appeals process could take up to nine months or more, it seems unlikely that the acquisition meets its original June 2023 deadline; it's probable we'll be following this fight to acquire Activision Blizzard for the rest of the year.

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Overwatch 2’s newest hero Lifeweaver is a game-changer for support players

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Overwatch 2's next hero has officially been announced: The support-class hero Lifeweaver will debut in season 4 of the free-to-play shooter in mid-April. Lifeweaver will be the 37th hero on Overwatch 2’s roster, and the ninth support hero following Kiriko's release when the game launched in the fall of 2023.

Blizzard has yet to release specific details on Lifeweaver's abilities or backstory, but players can catch a glimpse of the hero's playstyle in a short gameplay trailer released today.

Gaming

Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now

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Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition."
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.