Microsoft President Brad Smith will try to persuade EU antitrust regulators during a closed session on Tuesday that the software giant's $69 billion bid for "Call of Duty" developer Activision Blizzard will increase competition.
Microsoft will be able to assess the sentiment of senior EU and national competition officials and Commission attorneys prior to submitting remedies to address antitrust issues.
According to a European Commission document seen by Reuters, Smith will lead a group of 18 senior executives, including Microsoft Gaming President Phil Spencer, while Activision will be represented by CEO Robert Kotick.
Microsoft announced the acquisition in January of last year in an effort to compete with market giants Tencent and Sony, but has encountered regulatory obstacles in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The EU document revealed that Alphabet's Google and chip designer and computing company Nvidia Corp, which has a gaming division, will also participate in the hearing.
Sony is sending its games executive Jim Ryan in an effort to prevent the transaction.
"The European Commission asked for our views in the course of their inquiries into this issue. We will continue to cooperate in any processes, when requested, to ensure all views are considered," a Google spokesperson said.
One of the participants is the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), which has stated that the agreement will enable Microsoft to compete with Apple, Google, and Tencent.
What would be the largest transaction in the history of the video game business has been met with vehement opposition from PlayStation manufacturer Sony and worries from European, American, and British regulators.
While the EU's statement of objections has not been made public, regulators have expressed concern that the acquisition might considerably restrict PlayStation's capacity to compete, given that Microsoft would acquire the "irreplaceable" Call of Duty series.
In an effort to address these concerns, Microsoft recently announced that it had offered Sony a legally binding 10-year contract to release each new Call of Duty game on PlayStation on the same day as Xbox.
Last month, Sony's Ryan met with EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to discuss the company's worries about Microsoft's plans.
Shortly thereafter, Microsoft accused Sony of misrepresenting its intention to preserve "Call of Duty" on PlayStation, should the merger be approved, to the EU regulator.
