Microsoft, Activision to Sell Cloud Streaming Rights to Ubisoft to Get UK Regulator's Nod for $69 Billion Deal

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Several companies, including Samsung and Apple, which are the top two smartphone makers in the world, have reportedly agreed to invest in ARM’s initial public offering. The British chip design firm is apparently targeting a valuation between the $50 billion and $55 billion mark, though it should be pointed out that the latest target is actually a step down from the $64 billion valuation at which SoftBank acquired its 25 percent stake in the company.

Microsoft has announced it has restructured its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard in a bid to appease the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA has been against the deal for a long time, with a monopoly on gaming via cloud streaming services being its biggest concern. Microsoft's revised deal addresses this directly; once the deal goes through, it will sell the rights to stream Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft.

As we said in our Armored Core 6 review, FromSoftware's latest mech beatdown is an irresistible action experience paired with one of the studio's best-ever storylines. Its overwhelmingly positive critical reception and mounting launch hype have now pushed the game to the peak of Steam's top sellers, and after loving a cult hit for 26 years, longtime Armored Core fans can hardly believe it. 

The US has arrested one of the founders of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency “mixing” service that North Korean hackers have been using to launder their ill-gotten gains. 

Microsoft first announced its intentions to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022. Since then, the road to closing the deal has been a long, sinuous one. The megacorporation has faced pushback from several sources, including Sony. The competitor argues that the acquisition would be anti-competitive, especially if franchises like Call of Duty become Xbox and PC exclusives. Some governing bodies have also stepped in, now prompting Microsoft to revisit its initial agreement.

Microsoft has agreed to give Ubisoft the cloud streaming rights to Call of Duty and all other Activision Blizzard titles releasing over the next 15 years in a bid to push its $68.7 billion merger through in the UK.

Microsoft’s push to get the UK Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) on board with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues, with a surprising new potential partner: Ubisoft. Microsoft has submitted a new proposal for the acquisition after the CMA confirmed the original deal would still be blocked.

Story update: Since the publication of our original story earlier today, it has been confirmed by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick that Microsoft selling off game streaming rights to Ubisoft is indeed intended to directly «address the CMA's concerns» — the Competition and Market's Authority in the UK.

Microsoft and Ubisoft have agreed a 15 year deal that gives Ubisoft the right to stream Activision Blizzard games. This will come into effect once the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been formally confirmed. This will mean services like Ubisoft+ will having streaming rights to the Call of Duty, as well as other Activision Blizzard games that will come in the future.

Microsoft has made a new offer, one that president Brad Smith describes as a «substantially different transaction», in its effort to get its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard over the finish line with the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA had previously blocked the deal on grounds that included concerns about the nascent cloud gaming market, and the restructured deal will see all cloud rights to Activision Blizzard games signed over to Ubisoft for the next 15 years.

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.