Microsoft has entered into another 10-year deal, in its efforts to expand its reach in the cloud gaming space. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced the news in a Twitter post Tuesday morning. The deal would focus on bringing PC games from Activision Blizzard and Xbox through cloud gaming to EE customers following the conclusion of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal.
Unlike Microsoft’s previous deal partners, EE is one of the largest telecommunication companies and internet providers in the UK. Despite being an unusual partnership, Video Games Chronicle (VGC) noted that EE has had some experience within the gaming industry. Currently, the Xbox Game pass can be added to EE mobile customer plans since 2021.
CEO of EE Marc Allera showed his excitement over the news through a statement on Twitter.
EE is the latest company to partner with Microsoft, following its previous deals with Boosteroid, Ubitus, NVIDIA and Nintendo. These deals are one of Microsoft’s remedies towards the concerns over its acquisition by various government regulators including the US’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK’s Competition Markets Authority (CMA).
Recently, Microsoft has made some headway in its battle to get its acquisition approved. The CMA, after months of investigations, have sided with Microsoft regarding concerns on the acquisition’s negative effect on industry competition. Sony has not been silent on its unhappiness with the CMA’s decision, with the rival company calling the decision “surprising, unprecedented, and irrational.“
Regardless, Microsoft is not out of the woods yet. The CMA still has concerns over the acquisition’s potential effects on the cloud gaming market. The CMA is’s final report on Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal is scheduled for this month, April 26, 2023.