Microsoft’s Activision merger faces real-world barriers to metaverse mission

Suspicious US regulators and a problematic culture at the video game firm need to be overcome to realise AR vision

If the world of Call of Duty seems fraught enough when you are playing it, try being in it. That could be the consequence of Microsoft's proposed $68.7bn (50.4bn) acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the video games maker behind the shoot 'em up franchise. Announcing the deal, Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chief executive, said that gaming would play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms".

The metaverse is a catch-all term for an immersive experience that blends the physical and digital worlds through a mixture of virtual and augmented reality. This concept is years away from being fully realised, but it is envisaged that participants - using digital representations of themselves, or avatars - will access it through a virtual reality headset, or augmented reality (AR) glasses that put a digital layer over what they see in the real world. In the metaverse they can socialise with friends, carry out their job - or take part in a video game.