Microsoft may withdraw from UK to complete Activision acquisition of Blizzard

Microsoft is considering removing Activision from the UK in a further move to avoid a ban on the billionaire takeover.

According to a Bloomberg article, Microsoft CEO Brad Smith will meet UK Prime Minister Jeremy Hunt next week to discuss the controversial decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Microsoft confirmed in a release that Smith will be in London, where he will talk about the potential of artificial intelligence and the need to regulate it. He will also discuss other issues such as the Activision Blizzard acquisition and commitment to finding creative and constructive ways to address regulatory concerns.

Earlier, the chancellor had criticized the Competition and Markets Commission’s decision, saying the regulatory body needed to better understand its responsibilities.

However, Bloomberg says some of Smith’s public criticisms of the regulator suggest the UK government is unhappy. In it, the head of Microsoft said, “Europe is a better place to do business than England.”

Smith is expected to meet Microsoft’s legal representatives to discuss the Competition and Markets Authority’s anti-blocking strategy. Among them are extreme options, such as Activision withdrawing from Blizzard UK or completing the acquisition in violation of the regulatory body’s ban.

In theory, if Activision moved to another country in Europe outside the jurisdiction of the Competition and Markets Authority, a distributor could sell its games. Microsoft’s appeal against the ban will be heard in court in July.