Microsoft Boss Slams UK For Blocking Its Activision Buyout

Microsoft's president has attacked the UK after it was blocked from buying US gaming firm Activision, saying the EU was a better place to start a business, Tom Espiner and Will Harris reported for BBC News.

Photo Insert: The move was "bad for Britain" and marked Microsoft's "darkest day" in its four decades of working in the country, Brad Smith told the BBC.

The move was "bad for Britain" and marked Microsoft's "darkest day" in its four decades of working in the country, Brad Smith told the BBC.

The regulator hit back, saying it had to do what's best for people, "not merging firms with commercial interests." The UK's move means the multi-billion dollar deal cannot go ahead globally.

Although US and EU regulators have yet to decide on whether to approve the deal, the UK regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said: "Activision is intertwined through different markets - it can't be separated for the UK. So, this decision blocks the deal from happening globally."

If it had been approved, the $68.7billion (£55 billion) deal would have been the gaming industry's biggest-ever takeover, and would have seen Microsoft get hold of massively popular games titles such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft.

Both Microsoft and Activision have said they will appeal against the CMA's decision.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic