Streaming Activision Blizzard games to cloud services that aren’t Windows: EU regulators worried about Ubisoft and the EU

“Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage,” explains Smith. It will allow Ubisoft to offer their games to cloud gaming service that doesn’t run Windows.

“The Commission is carefully assessing whether the developments in the UK require another notification to the Commission,” says European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta in a statement to The Verge.

The deal was cleared by the European Commission earlier this year, and another notification could signal another review. The EU has similar concerns with cloud gaming and secured remedies that grant them a free license to stream from any cloud game streaming services of their choice. Cloud providers that stream these games in EU markets will be able to get a free license.

UK regulators are already treating this as a new deal, with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opening a new “phase 1” investigation into this restructured deal. Microsoft will now need to wait to see if the European Commission also needs a refresh notification for the deal and more regulatory headaches.

Ubisoft will also add Activision Blizzard games to its Ubisoft Plus Multi Access subscription, which is available across PC, Xbox, Amazon Luna, and on PlayStation via Ubisoft Plus Classics.

The Cosmic Microwave Anisotropy Probe will restructure the CMA deal in respect of Third-Party Comments on the Deal

The CMA will now assess the reworked deal over the coming weeks and deliver a decision by the October 18th deadline. This is not a light that is green. Sarah Cardell, the chief executive of the CMA says that they will assess the restructured deal in light of third-party comments. “Our goal has not changed – any future decision on this new deal will ensure that the growing cloud gaming market continues to benefit from open and effective competition driving innovation and choice.”