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Microsoft says China approves its plan to buy video game-maker Activision Blizzard, former NetEase partner
- China’s State Administration for Market Regulation cleared the merger without conditions, Microsoft said on Friday
- The European Union last week approved the US$69 billion takeover of the publisher behind World of Warcraft, Call of Duty and Candy Crush
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Microsoft said on Friday that China has unconditionally approved its plan to buy video gaming company Activision Blizzard, even as the deal still faces antitrust opposition in the US and United Kingdom.
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China’s approval has become complicated because Activision Blizzard stopped offering many of its games in mainland China earlier this year, following a dispute with local publishing partner NetEase.
China and the European Union are the two biggest economies to have approved Microsoft’s planned US$69 billion takeover of the California-based game publisher behind popular titles such as World of Warcraft, Call of Duty and Candy Crush.
European regulators representing the 27-nation bloc approved the deal on Monday on condition that Microsoft make some promises meant to boost competition in the emerging cloud-based gaming market.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation cleared the acquisition without conditions, according to Microsoft, though as of late Friday the agency’s website did not mention the decision.
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