UK risks becoming “death valley” if Microsoft deal is blocked, warns Bobby Kotick

The UK risks becoming “death valley” if it blocks the Microsoft deal, warns current Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick.

Microsoft made the first steps to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022, in a deal said to be worth $68.7 billion. However, the potential deal has hit numerous road bumps along the way.

Will Microsoft seal the deal?

Despite the deal being approved by various market regulators across the world, it’s faced opposition in Europe and the UK. However, at the forefront of the opposition has been PlayStation boss, Jim Ryan.

It’s believed that should Microsoft successfully acquire Activision Blizzard, it would have a stronghold on the video game industry. In particular when it comes to owning the rights to the Call of Duty series as well as its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass.

Call of Duty won’t come to Xbox Game Pass instantly

Yet, due to an existing deal with Activision and Sony, Call of Duty isn’t able to come to Xbox Game Pass for a number of years. Regardless of whether the Microsoft deal is successful or not.

Furthermore, Microsoft has previously indicated that it wouldn’t be profitable to make Call of Duty an Xbox exclusive. Given the fact that it’s one of the biggest multiformat moneymakers in the world.

Moreover, 10-year Call of Duty deals have also been reportedly offered to PlayStation, as well as Nintendo to ensure that the series remains on the respective platforms.

Bobby Kotic has a warning for the Microsoft Deal

What’s more, as reported by VGC, current Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick has stark warning for the UK. However, that’s if it prevents the billion-dollar deal from concluding.

“If a deal like this can’t get through, they are not going to be Silicon Valley, they will be Death Valley,” said Bobby Kotick to CNBC during an interview earlier this week.

Kotick’s claims were in response to comments made by the UK chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt who said that he plans to turn the country into “the world’s next Silicon Valley.” However, it seems that blocking the Activision deal could have the opposite effect, according to Kotick.

Do you think the words of Bobby Kotick are a bit extreme or do you think he’s just trying to rile up the UK regulators to push forward the Microsoft deal? Let us know your thoughts across our social media channels.

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Featured Image Credit: Microsoft/Activision/Source: VGC