Activision Blizzard, the company behind the "Call of Duty" video game, has been allowed permission to get involved in Microsoft's legal dispute with Britain's antitrust authority over its decision to thwart the $69 billion merger.
Microsoft is contesting CMA - the Competition and Markets Authority's April decision to block the transaction on the grounds that it may reduce competition in the emerging cloud gaming market.
The unexpected decision puts the largest-ever gaming contract in jeopardy and sparked a heated reaction from the corporations, who questioned whether Britain was still welcoming to tech companies.
Activision now has authorization to participate in the appeal of Microsoft at Competition Appeal Tribunal scheduled to be heard the following month. Activision will therefore have the opportunity to present its argument to the tribunal.
Microsoft's attorneys claimed that the CMA was an international "outlier" at an initial hearing in May for opposing the Activision acquisition, which had already been cleared by authorities, including the competition authority of the European Union.
Additionally, the acquisition was halted by the US Federal Trade Commission, a ruling that Microsoft is appealing.
The business hopes to allay authorities' worries about the Activision deal, Brad Smith, Microsoft President stated earlier this week. Smith met with the British Finance Minister for discussions on Tuesday.