Report claims Microsoft won't have to sell Call of Duty to acquire Activision

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A new report says the EU will give the green light to the deal

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Microsoft might not have to relinquish control of Call of Duty after all, if a new report turns out to be true.

On March 2, a Reuters report claimed the European Union will soon give Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition its seal of approval, according to three anonymous sources. This would potentially help the acquisition clear one of its biggest antitrust challenges, if genuine.

In fact, the three anonymous sources cited in Reuters' report claim the EU won't ask Microsoft to sell off Call of Duty, or Activision, as part of the deal going ahead. The Reuters report also notes that the EU will hand out its final verdict on the proposed acquisition by April 25.

Microsoft has only pledged to put Call of Duty on more platforms if the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes ahead. The company signed a deal with Nintendo to put Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles for the next decade, should the deal be approved, and also committed to a decade of parity for Call of Duty across PlayStation and Xbox platforms. 

Considering Microsoft recently said it doesn't see a viable path to sell Call of Duty to someone else, this report is nothing but good news for the company.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.