Microsoft and Activision Blizzard said on Wednesday that they were delaying a $69 billion merger as the two companies scrambled to get final approval from British antitrust regulators.The new extension, set for Oct. 18, signals that the two companies believe they will complete the deal but need more time to satisfy regulators’ concerns.When Microsoft announced its plans to acquire the video game publisher Activision in early 2022, the two companies set a deadline of July 18 this year to close the deal. The revised agreement introduced an escalating breakup fee that Microsoft would have to pay to Activision if the purchase fell through, from $3 billion until Aug. 29, then growing to as much as $4.5 billion if it does not close by Sept. 15.“We are confident about our prospects for getting this d …
