China Approves Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

China’s State Administration has approved Microsoft’s attempted $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, joining a total of 37 regulators including the EU and Japan.

The news was first surfaced today on SeekingAlpha via a Dealreporter item, and has since been confirmed via a statement from a Microsoft spokesperson sent to IGN:

China’s unconditional clearance of our acquisition of Activision Blizzard follows clearance decisions from jurisdictions such as the European Union and Japan, bringing the total to 37 countries representing more than two billion people. The acquisition combined with our recent commitments to the European Commission will empower consumers worldwide to play more games on more devices.

This news comes just a few days after the European Commission approved the deal in the EU. The one opposing voice thus far remains the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which blocked the deal on the basis of its potential to let Microsoft monopolize a nascent cloud gaming market. Microsoft has stated its intent to appeal the UK’s decision.

The deal has yet to be approved in the US, where the Federal Trade Commission is preparing to sort out its ruling in court this August, and legal experts we spoke to are divided as to which was the decision will ultimately fall.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.