Xbox boss Phil Spencer reassures staff following CMA ruling – report

Phil Spencer reportedly held an all-hands meeting this week to discuss the UK’s decision to block the Activision Blizzard deal, and Microsoft’s future gaming plans, which will move ahead with or without the acquisitionEarlier this week, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority regulator denied Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. It’s a heavy blow for the tech giant’s gaming plans. However, Phil Spencer has reportedly held an all-hands meeting for division employees, reassuring them that Microsoft still sees a way for the deal to be approved and that the firm’s plans for Xbox go beyond the Activision Blizzard deal and will continue with or without the Call of Duty publisher.Microsoft’s gaming plans would only be sped up with Activision BlizzardAs reported by Bloomberg, an anonymous source has said that Phil Spencer acknowledged Microsoft’s disappointment with the CMA’s ruling, saying it will slow the approval process for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, noting the company will continue to pursue it. While bringing Activision Blizzard into the fold would speed up Microsoft’s gaming plans, it’s not wholly representative of the company’s strategy, which will still go ahead whether the acquisition goes through or not. According to the source, Amy Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, held a meeting with the company’s senior leadership team the same day, and Microsoft president Brad Smith was up at 2am Seattle time writing a response to the UK’s CMA.Despite the CMA’s ruling, Microsoft has penned another 10-year cloud gaming deal for Xbox and Activision games, which comes as no surprise as the company is preparing to appeal the ruling.



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