Last month, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard due to concerns about the impact on competition in the cloud gaming industry. 

In response, Microsoft has reportedly hired Daniel Beard KC of Monckton Chambers, who is well-known for his history of overturning significant decisions made by the EU regulator in competition cases, as the company prepares to appeal CMA's decision.

Beard represented Apple in their successful appeal against the EU's demand for the company to pay €13 billion in taxes, where the union had claimed that Ireland had provided illegal state aid to the company.  

Last year, he also successfully challenged a €1.1 billion fine that the European Commission had imposed on Intel more than ten years ago, where the company was accused of excessive dominance over the microchip market.

The European Union, which is also scrutinizing Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is expected to announce its decision within two weeks. Sources "close to the investigation" suggest that the EU is likely to approve the deal on the condition that Microsoft remains committed to promises such as ensuring that games like Call of Duty remain available for other gaming consoles.

Despite CMA's decision to block the acquisition, Microsoft has stated that it will remain "fully committed" to the deal. Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, has also said that the company will continue to back Microsoft's appeal.

Source: Yahoo Finance