It seems like the Microsoft Activision merger saga is finally ending, as the CMA has preliminarily decided to approve of the merger. Late last month, Microsoft submitted a new deal where it agreed to sell off Activision’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft to win over the UK regulators, and it seems like their strategy was fruitful.

In a new update today, the CMA has decided to make its preliminary decision and has approved the deal. The CMA says the modified Microsoft Activision deal addresses “previous CMA concerns” in the cloud gaming market. You can find the full statement by the UK watchdogs below:

This is a new and substantially different deal, which keeps the cloud distribution of these important games in the hands of a strong independent supplier, Ubisoft, rather than under the control of Microsoft.

With additional protections to make sure that the deal is properly implemented, this will maintain the structure of the market, enabling open competition to continue to shape the development of cloud gaming in the years to come, and giving UK gamers the opportunity to access Activision’s games in many different ways, including through cloud-based multigame subscription services.

All eyes are on October 6 right now, which is the CMA’s deadline to publish their final decision. Usually, the final decision by the CMA reflects its preliminary decision, however, in this case, we cannot say due to the rollercoaster this acquisition has been.

In other Xbox news, some redacted court documents were leaked from the Microsoft vs FTC case, which showed Microsoft’s internal plans for its next-gen console, unannounced Bethesda games, and the company’s mid-gen refresh for Xbox Series X|S.

This is a big day for Microsoft, as the CMA was the only regulator stopping this deal from closing. Stay tuned to MP1st as we will update our readers as soon as the final decision is published by the CMA.

Source: CMA