Microsoft signs 10-year deal with Spain's Nware after UK blocks Activision bid

[April 28, 2023]   (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has signed a 10-year deal with Spanish cloud gaming platform Nware allowing it to stream Activision Blizzard titles, days after Britain blocked its $69 billion buyout of the "Call of Duty" maker.

A Microsoft logo is seen a day after Microsoft Corp's $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn Corp, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

The deal will also allow streaming of PC games built by Xbox on Nware's platform, according to a tweet from Microsoft's president Brad Smith on Friday.

"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," Smith added.

On Wednesday, Britain's antitrust regulator blocked the deal over concerns it would hinder competition in cloud gaming, adding that Microsoft's commitment to offer access to Activision's multi-billion dollar "Call of Duty" franchise to leading cloud gaming platforms would not effectively remedy its concerns.

The Activision deal is the biggest involving technology companies that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked.

Europe will decide on the Activision deal by May 22. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block it.

The agreement with the Spanish firm is the latest from Microsoft to bring "Call of Duty" and other Activision titles to other platforms. It had similar deals with Sony as well as Nintendo.


(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra ELuri)

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