Microsoft"s Xbox head Phil Spencer didn"t mention the planned purchase of Activision Blizzard during today"s Xbox Games Showcase. However, during a media panel after the event in Los Angeles, he did state he was "confident" that the $69 billion acquisition would finally be completed.
PC Gamer reports that Spencer stated Microsoft is still "very committed" to buying and closing the deal to get Activision Blizzard. Most of the countries in the world have approved of the deal, including the ones in the European Union. However, the UK"s Competition and Markets Authority decided back in April not to approve the deal, on the grounds that it would give Microsoft an unfair advantage in the cloud gaming market.
Microsoft is appealing that ruling, while also fighting the US FTC, which filed a lawsuit to stop the deal in December 2022. In his new statements today, Spencer said Microsoft is trying to work with regulators to remedy their issues with the deal:
We"re out there to find solutions with the regulators that have questions, and that"s what we"re actively doing . . . We"re trying to get to solutions. We did that with the European Commission. I"m confident we"ll find solutions in the other areas as well. It"s taking time, it"s taking focus, but I"m confident.
One thing Microsoft is reportedly considering, as something of a last resort, is just closing the deal without UK approval. In that case, it could pull Activision Blizzard"s games out of the UK.
In the meantime, Spencer"s recorded message near the end of Xbox Games Showcase saw him wearing a Hexen t-shirt. Hexen was a 1995 game from developer Raven Software, and published by id Software, that used the Doom engine for a fantasy-themed first person shooter. Hexen became a Microsoft IP when it bought ZeniMax Media, which owns id Software, in 2021.
Sometimes Spencer wears a T-shirt for a public appearance to tease an upcoming game. However, it could just be that he"s a fan of Hexen. In either case, it was nice to see this game get some recognition.