Microsoft Xbox chief seeks to reassure game staff on Activision

Microsoft executives sought to reassure workers in the Xbox gaming unit that there’s a way forward for the approval of the company’s planned $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, while emphasizing that its success in gaming isn’t solely dependent on the deal.

The acquisition was vetoed Wednesday by the U.K.’s antitrust watchdog, a potentially fatal blow for the industry’s biggest-ever deal. At an all-hands meeting for division employees Thursday morning, Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer acknowledged the company’s disappointment, saying the U.K.’s decision will slow the approval process, according to a person who attended the meeting. Still, he said Microsoft’s desire to pursue the deal hasn’t wavered, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an internal event.