While an interview is not necessarily  an official state, it is interesting that an executive of Microsoft talks on things that are in process and for us gamers, the big news regarding Xbox beside upcoming (and delayed) titles, is the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In days where the FTC have begun doing their thing to checking if Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard is for the best of consumer’s interest (probably the only thing that FTC can have legal ground to reject it is proving that Microsoft is “strangling” market but Sony, Epic Games, Google and Amazon are not helping the cause if that’s the strategy), there has been a change in narrative.

But being not you regular executive, Microsoft’s president Brad Smith was interviewed by a local belgian rotative (via VGC) and was asked about the status of the transaction and Smith indicated that Microsoft have requested to start the proper EU’s regulatory review.

With this and the FTC already starting things in the North American market, Microsoft believes they are on the half of the road for the transaction to close and while the process is long, it has been moving at a past pace.

Nevertheless, the official communication from Microsoft was that the Activision Blizzard purchase can be anywhere from now to the first half of 2023 or in economics speaking, could happen from now to the close of the 2023 fiscal year.

This is the first notable update in the transaction, after the Department Of Justice confirmed that it will not be independently reviewed.