© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone positioned on the Activision Blizzard logo shown in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Microsoft (NASDAQ:) Chairman Brad Smith will try to convince EU antitrust regulators in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday that the US software giant’s $69 billion bid for the maker of “Call of Duty” Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:) will drive the competition. .
Smith will lead a delegation of 18 senior executives, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, while Activision will be represented by its CEO Robert Kotick, according to a European Commission document seen by Reuters.
The hearing will allow Xbox maker Microsoft to gauge the mood among top EU and national competition officials and Commission lawyers ahead of the presentation of solutions to address antitrust concerns.
Microsoft announced the acquisition in January last year to take on leaders Tencent and sony (NYSE:), but has run into regulatory headwinds in Europe, Britain and the United States.
Sony, which wants the deal blocked, will send in its gaming chief, Jim Ryan.
Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:) Google and computer chip design and computer company Nvidia (NASDAQ:) Corp, which has a gaming business, will also participate in the hearing, the EU document showed.
“The European Commission has sought our views in the course of its investigations into this matter. We will continue to cooperate in any process, where requested, to ensure that all views are considered,” a Google spokesperson said.
Nvidia declined to comment. The European Game Developers Federation (EGDF), which has said the deal will allow Microsoft to challenge Apple (NASDAQ:), Google and Tencent, is one of the participants.
Video game distributor Valve, video game publisher Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:) and the German competition watchdog and their peers in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden will also participate in the event. .
