Activision Blizzard’s communications director has come out supporting the Redmond tech company (even though it has not yet been cleared for the $68.7 billion deal). In a bit of a rush, Lulu Cheng Meservey…

Meservey wrote on Twitter: “Seeing a lot of speculation about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Any suggestion that the transaction could have anticompetitive effects is absurd. This merger will benefit gamers and the US gaming industry — especially as we face stiffer competition from abroad. We’re committed to continuing to work cooperatively with regulators around the globe to allow the transaction to proceed. Still, we won’t hesitate to fight to defend the transaction if that’s needed.”

Is the timing suspicious? No, as we recently wrote, Politico was reporting that the US’ FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is considering an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft that could stall the transaction. And Meservey has responded publicly that if the case is indeed launched against Microsoft, the Redmond-based company would have to fight to have Activision Blizzard King merged into the company after ZeniMax Media.

“Microsoft is prepared to address regulators’ concerns, including the FTC and Sony, to ensure the deal closes confidently. We’ll still trail Sony and Tencent in the market after the deal closes, and together Activision and Xbox will benefit gamers and developers and make the industry more competitive,” David Cuddy, a spokesman for the Redmond-based tech company, told Politico.

It’s safe to say that Microsoft will not swoop down on Activision Blizzard quickly, as the UK’s CMA (their market and competition regulator) and the European Commission have both ordered an in-depth investigation into the deal, and these will not be completed in a week. Only when the acquisition is cleared everywhere can Microsoft own the Bobby Kotick-led publisher, of which Call of Duty is the jewel…

Source: VGC