EU approves Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard

The EU has approved Microsoft's $69bn (£55bn) acquisition of the Call of Duty creator Activision Blizzard, in a move that puts Brussels at loggerheads with its UK counterpart over the gaming mega-deal. The EU accepted Microsoft's concessions on cloud gaming, the same problem that led the Competition and Markets Authority to block the transaction last month. The proposed deal would bring together Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox console, with the video game developer behind titles including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Candy Crush Saga and Overwatch. The move by the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, will revive Microsoft's hopes for the deal as it prepares to appeal against the CMA's decision. The Federal Trade Commission in the US has also come out against the takeover and is suing to block it.