Microsoft’s $69 Billion Activision Deal Wins EU Approval (2)

Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard Inc. won European Union approval, just weeks after the UK’s merger regulator delivered a shock decision to veto the gaming industry’s biggest ever deal.

The European Commission said its own analysis showed the deal wouldn’t hurt competition after Microsoft vowed to let cloud rivals offer blockbuster titles such as Call of Duty on their own platforms for 10 years. The approval means the fate of the deal now hinges on the firm winning legal challenges in the US and UK — likely an uphill task.

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager on ...