UK regulator delays report on Microsoft's Activision buyout

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it has delayed the publication of its report into Microsoft's potential buyout of Activision Blizzard.

The report was originally supposed to be made public on 1 March, but the CMA has now confirmed that it won't be released until 26 April. There's still hope that Microsoft will be put out of its misery sooner than that, though - the CMA says that it “aims to complete the inquiry as soon as possible and in advance of this date”.

The CMA is looking into the proposed $68.7 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard by Xbox parent company Microsoft. Just like other regulators around the world, the CMA has concerns about the move. Those concerns boil down to one thing - whether Microsoft owning the Call of Duty franchise will negatively impact the likes of Sony and Nintendo.

Those concerns, and the time it's taking to gather and review evidence, are the main reason the CMA has chosen to delay its report. Inquiry group chair Martin Coleman said that the group took into account "the scope and complexity of the investigation and the need to consider a large volume of evidence" when confirming the move.

Over in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has already confirmed that it isn't too keen on Microsoft owning Activision - going so far as to file a lawsuit to stop it from happening.

Microsoft has repeatedly attempted to put minds at ease, saying that it is willing to sign a decade-long deal with Sony and Nintendo that would ensure Call of Duty remained coss platform, even once the Activision Blizzard buyout is completed.

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