EU to Escalate Probe Into Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
The concern is that Microsoft will limit access to games like Call of Duty.
The EU highlighted Call of Duty's wide availability as a major factor in keeping the video game market competitive.
The European Commission on Tuesday opened an in-depth investigation into Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. This follows last month's informal probe.
The EC, which is the European Union's executive arm, has expressed concern that the deal could reduce competition in the markets for console and PC gaming and noted that Microsoft could limit access to Activision Blizzard megafranchises like Call of Duty.
World of Warcraft and Overwatch are some of the other major franchises in the Activision Blizzard stable.
"The point is to ensure that the gaming ecosystem remains vibrant to the benefit of users in a sector that is evolving at a fast pace," Margrethe Vestager, the EC's executive vice president in charge of competition policy, said in a statement. "Our in-depth investigation will assess how the deal affects the gaming supply chain."
Microsoft said in a statement emailed to CNET that it's continuing to work with the European Commission to address its concerns.
"Sony, as the industry leader, says it is worried about Call of Duty, but we've said we are committed to making the same game available on the same day on both Xbox and PlayStation," Microsoft said in the statement. "We want people to have more access to games, not less."
During the summer, Microsoft downplayed concerns over the acquisition by telling New Zealand regulators that Activision Blizzard doesn't make any "must-have" games.