Microsoft’s president Brad Smith said he has met Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as he looks to persuade regulators to approve his company’s US$69bn takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.
Reuters, which cites a government source, said Smith will also meet officials from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this week.
Speaking at the techUK Tech Policy Leadership conference, Smith said he is “in search of solutions,” after the CMA blocked what would have been the largest takeover ever in the gaming space in April.
"If regulators have concerns we want to address them. If there are problems, we want to solve them. If the UK wants to impose regulatory requirements that go beyond those in the EU, we want to find ways to fulfil them,” Smith said.
Microsoft has since appealed the decision, although Smith did not hesitate to criticise Britain after the CMA veto, saying it would shake confidence in the UK as a destination for tech.
The EU approved the Activision deal in May after it accepted remedies put forward by Microsoft that were broadly comparable to those it proposed in the UK.
A UK appeal is due to be heard next month, with a verdict likely in August or September.