South Africa’s Competition Tribunal Approves Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

The Competition Tribunal of South Africa has given its unconditional approval for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This recent approval adds weight to Microsoft’s efforts to secure the deal, despite ongoing fights with regulatory authorities in the UK and the US. While the tribunal has not yet published its reasoning for the approval, we can draw conclusions from a similar decision made by the Korean Fair Trade Commission. The KFTC stated that the combined market share of Microsoft and Blizzard in Korea is small, the popularity of Blizzard’s games in Korea is lower compared to overseas, and there are other popular game developers that competitors can work with. Therefore, they concluded that there is no possibility of exclusion or foreclosure of competing game service companies.

Bless the Rains Down in Africa

The Competition Tribunal’s approval provides Microsoft with more ammunition to persuade other regulatory authorities to give their approval as well. New Zealand’s regulator, for example, has postponed their decision until July 17. Given the positive decisions made by other authorities, it is likely that New Zealand will follow suit and approve the deal.

The ongoing trial with the US Federal Trade Commission has been filled with drama, particularly when Sony’s unredacted documents were accidentally made public. However, the focus of the trial has mostly been on topics such as game streaming and console exclusivity, with less attention on King, a major player in the Activision Blizzard King trifecta.