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According to reports, Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, will reportedly keep his position even if Microsoft’s proposed acquisition is blocked by regulators or falls through. Kotick’s fate at the gaming giant has been in question since talk of the purchase began, with some sources saying he’ll leave, while others have stated Microsoft intends to retain him. If these new reports are to be believed, Activision Blizzard wants to keep the status quo if the deal is dropped.
Reports say Kotick will stick with Activision Blizzard if the Microsoft deal falls through
Fox Business reports that its sources have stated that Kotick is sticking with the company if the Microsoft deal falls through. This isn’t alarming since he’s been CEO of Activision since 1991 and oversaw the merger with Vivendi Games that formed Activision Blizzard. However, his fate was in question since it may be seen as a failure on his part if the $68.7 billion acquisition is blocked.
Recently, Kotick appeared on Fox Business to discuss potential opposition from regulators like the US Federal Trade Commission, the European Commission, and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Fox Business’s sources stated that Activision Blizzard views the CMA as the only potential roadblock to the Microsoft deal but remains confident the two companies can convince the regulator that the merger won’t harm competition.
The CMA suggested Activision Blizzard sell the Call of Duty brand due to concerns about the merger’s potential harm to competition and gamers. However, Kotick disagreed with regulator concerns about the franchise becoming exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem, stating that it wasn’t a fair concern and that there was “nothing proprietary” about the concept of Call of Duty.
Kotick went on to say Sony has the resources to create a competitor if it desires. He also claimed that Sony has not been in contact with Activision Blizzard and hasn’t been returning their phone calls.