ATVI

Microsoft Corp. faces a sudden challenge to its videogaming ambitions after the U.K. rejected the Xbox maker’s proposed $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., a regulatory blow that antitrust lawyers say will be hard to overcome. Microsoft has been pushing to get approvals for the deal—which would be its biggest ever—for more than a year, in part to help it gain an edge in the nascent market for cloud gaming, the Netflix-like streaming of games, and in its mobile gaming business.…

BRUSSELS—The U.K. decision to block Microsoft Corp.’s plan to buy videogame producer Activision Blizzard Inc. is the latest sign of how global regulators are toughening their approach to market-dominating tech companies. The Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.’s antitrust watchdog, said Wednesday that it was prohibiting the deal because commitments Microsoft had proposed didn’t go far enough in addressing its concerns. Microsoft said it would appeal the decision. BRUSSELS—The…

The U.K.’s antitrust watchdog rejected Microsoft Corp.’s $75 billion deal to buy game maker Activision Blizzard Inc., raising a high hurdle in the software giant’s attempt to win global approval of the deal. The Competition and Markets Authority’s ruling, issued Wednesday, said Microsoft had failed to convince it that undertakings it had proposed since announcing the deal would sufficiently ease the regulator’s competition worries. The CMA has said the deal poses a competition threat to the U.K.’s…

The U.K.’s antitrust watchdog rejected Microsoft Corp.’s $75 billion deal to buy game maker Activision Blizzard Inc., raising a high hurdle in the software giant’s attempt to win global approval of the deal. Updates to follow as news develops. The U.K.’s antitrust watchdog rejected Microsoft Corp.’s $75 billion deal to buy game maker Activision Blizzard Inc., raising a high hurdle in the software giant’s attempt to win global approval of the deal. Updates to follow as…

An Activision ‘Overwatch’ league match in San Antonio. Photo: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg News…

An Activision ‘Overwatch’ league match in San Antonio. Photo: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg News The…

BRUSSELS— Microsoft Corp. MSFT 1.67% President Brad Smith said the company reached a deal with cloud gaming company Boosteroid on distributing “Call of Duty” videogames and expects more agreements to follow as the software giant pushes to convince regulators to approve its planned $75 billion acquisition of the videogame franchise’s owner, Activision Blizzard Inc. ATVI 1.06% Microsoft…

U.K. antitrust regulators said Microsoft Corp.’s proposed $75 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard Inc. ATVI 2.63% would further consolidate what it called Microsoft MSFT 1.97% ‘s strong position in cloud gaming and said a combination would hurt U.K. gamers—erecting another high regulatory hurdle to the deal in a big global gaming marketplace.The country’s Competition and Markets Authority said it…

Microsoft Corp. signed pacts to give Nintendo Co. and Nvidia Corp. access to “Call of Duty” games for a decade if its $75 billion deal to buy the franchise’s developer, Activision Blizzard Inc., gets approved, part of the software maker’s efforts to relieve regulators’ concerns about the transaction. In a tweet Tuesday, Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith said the commitment with Nintendo, first proposed late last year, is now solidified. It means that Nintendo would gain access to…

Activision Blizzard has settled an investigation without admitting or denying SEC allegations. Photo: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press…