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Call of Duty: Microsoft bags Nware deal after UK blocked Activision bid

EU antitrust regulators quiz Microsoft's cloud rivals over customer data

Microsoft announced a 10-year agreement with Nware on Friday to deliver Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform.

This comes only days after Britain denied a $69 billion takeover of the “Call of Duty” creator.

The arrangement is Microsoft’s latest attempt to allay concerns that its acquisition of Activision will stifle competition in cloud gaming, which was the reason the Competition and Markets Authority voted to deny the largest gaming merger.

“While it’s still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today,” Microsoft President Brad Smith stated.

The Xbox console maker, which intends to fight the CMA’s judgement, has struck similar agreements with streaming platform owners such as Valve Corp, Nvidia, and Boosteroid.

It had also provided a 10-year “Call of Duty” licence to Sony, a prominent opponent of the transaction, as part of an arrangement to bring the multibillion-dollar brand to Nintendo’s Switch.

The CMA stated in its judgement on Wednesday that Microsoft possessed an estimated 60%-70% of worldwide cloud gaming services, as well as competitive advantages such as ownership of Xbox, PC operating system Windows, and cloud provider Azure.

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