In this likely final leg of Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, in which Sony and Call of Duty played a very important roleUndoubtedly, one of the most surprising news occurred today, and it could be a clear sign that confirmation of the purchase is imminent, or at least the Japanese technology company must have thought so, which, as I develop further, you probably reacted to how the situation was during this week reset.

Just a few hours ago, with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal rejecting the FTC’s request to temporarily block the purchase of Activision Blizzard, we analyzed the situation where the only red light that currently remains is the UK CMA. However, we already told you a few days ago, after the court setback against the FTC, that both parties (CMA and Microsoft) cut short the pause in the legal case to sit down for negotiations. And today it was confirmed the British regulator is willing to substantially speed up any change in decisionif Microsoft backs down at some point.

Let’s remember that if the operation is not completed by next Tuesday, July 18, Activision Blizzard can demand $ 3,000 million from Microsoft, which explains the pace it has. sprint final. However, it is also possible that both parties agree to renegotiate the contracteither by modifying some of its points, or simply by establishing an extension associated with the solution of regulatory and legal problems that the operation still faces today.

So, and waiting for what may happen between tomorrow and Tuesday, and that may cause the CMA to change its position, the possibility of completing the purchase is something very real, and the reactions of the CMA and Sony seem to be a clear indicator that. And it does not seem accidental at all that the CMA agrees to negotiations after the court’s judgment on Tuesday, that it is willing to speed up the process after the appeal court’s decision, and that in this scenario Sony, which has been particularly combative from the start, will now sign a deal with Microsoft. We really seem to be facing a chain reaction. in which no one wants to be left out of the picture.

The agreement was signed reported by Phil Spencerhead of the Xbox ecosystem and republished and commented by Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft and one of the most important figures during this whole process with the regulators, both times through their Twitter accounts. And how could it be otherwise, at the epicenter of the aforementioned deal we find Call of Duty and the guarantee that after the purchase is completed, which now seems more likely than ever, the popular franchise will continue to come to PlayStation as usual.

«We’re excited to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have entered into a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where gamers around the world have more options to play their favorite games.“, we can read message by Phil Spencer.

from his side, message Brad Smith states the following: «From day one of this acquisition, we have been committed to solving the problems of regulators, game and platform developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line to approve this deal, we remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and to more consumers than ever before.»

None of these reports clarify, yes, the duration of the contract concluded between Microsoft and Sony. Recall that initially Microsoft offered Sony to fulfill all existing contracts and sign one that would guarantee the arrival of Call of Duty on PlayStation for three years, which was insufficient for Sony. Since then, Microsoft has signed several 10-year contracts and even offered the same term to Sony, so it is very likely that these are also the terms that both parties signed today. And what has changed since then? Well, probably at the time Sony was counting on the operation not going ahead, which was forced to change its mind last week.

Will we have definitive news on the purchase between tomorrow, monday and tuesday? This basically depends on the CMA and its ability to provide a quick response. If tomorrow is confirmed in this regard, the purchase will be a reality. And if not, Microsoft will likely consider the chances of reaching a quick deal with the UK regulator, and of course renegotiate a new date with Activision Blizzard’s current board. If both are possible, we can expect it to be delayed for a few weeks, but if not, it seems likely that Activision Blizzard will already be owned by Microsoft by the end of Tuesday.

Be that as it may, no doubt We live in the last few days for the heart attack deal.