After the competition watchdog blocked the takeover earlier this year, Microsoft’s president Brad Smith hit out at the CMA’s decision, which it said was “bad for Britain” and contradicted “the ambitions of the UK to become an attractive country to build technology businesses”. It has proved controversial and received a mixed response from regulators around the world, but has already been passed by regulators in the European Union. The US competition watchdog. Microsoft has completed its $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard in the gaming industry’s biggest ever deal. Following the announcement of the deal, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed in a letter to staff that he would step down at the end of 2023. Will Microsoft have an upper hand in the gaming industry ?