Chile follows Brazil, which approved the purchase in October.
Microsoft ‘s intention to buy Activision Blizzard was announced in January 2022, but the $68.7 billion deal has yet to be approved.
Several regulatory bodies are reviewing the agreement to rule out anticompetitive practices by Microsoft .
The Blizzard purchase has received the first approval from Chile. The National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE) approved Phase 1 of the operation.
“The investigation ruled out risks, considering that in the markets in which the parties overlap their activities (development and publication of video games, distribution of video games for computers and sale of merchandising and digital graphic advertising) the market concentration thresholds established by the Analysis Guide for Horizontal Concentration Operations of 2022, and that a large number of relevant competitors and a dynamic market were observed,” the FNE concluded.
“In relation to a possible risk of blocking customers, the Prosecutor’s Office concluded that Microsoft will not stop demanding video games published by third parties, since the computer video game distribution market has shown significant dynamism with the entry of new relevant players, highlighting the leading position held by Steam”, he indicated about its effects on the market.
The challenge is in other countries
The purchase intention is also being evaluated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States , the European Commission , as well as entities in the United Kingdom, Japan, among other countries.
Sony opposes this purchase, considering that it could harm the market, although Microsoft has committed to several measures, such as maintaining the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles for many years .
Among the large markets, in October Brazil approved the purchase of Activision Blizzard .