The European Commission is expected to begin its investigation after Microsoft opted not to file remedies to the EU's antitrust entities. The company had until midnight on Monday to file relevant paperwork but opted not to, according to Politico. The EC will now have until Nov. 8 to announce the next stage of its investigation into the deal.
Microsoft said in a statement that it was continuing to work with the EC to address"any valid market concerns." The EC did not respond to requests for comment.The software company announced in January that it intended to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, making it one of the largest acquisitions in the gaming industry to date. Several countries responded by saying that the deal could harm industry competitiveness.
The acquisition deal arrived amid unionization efforts by groups of employees and ongoing lawsuits related to allegations of sexual harassment within Activision Blizzard.