Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have pushed back the deadline for the completion of their $75bn merger agreement until mid-October as the two companies seek to resolve UK regulatory concerns about the impact of the tie-up on the nascent cloud gaming market.
The extension to October 18 does not alter the original $95 per share, all-cash purchase price that Microsoft will pay for the developer of Call of Duty and Candy Crush Saga. However, the parties have agreed to increase the termination fee that Microsoft would pay Activision to as much as $4.5bn, if the deal is scuttled after September 15.
The extension will provide “ample time to work through the final regulatory issues”, said Microsoft’s president Brad Smith in a tweet on Wednesday.