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Microsoft announced a 10-year cloud-gaming agreement with Nware on April 28, 2023. The European service was to receive Xbox PC games for streaming, with Activision Blizzard titles included if Microsoft completed its proposed acquisition. The deal was announced two days after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the original transaction over cloud-gaming competition concerns, but it did not guarantee an immediate or complete Nware catalog.
What Microsoft and Nware actually agreed to
The parties announced a 10-year licensing arrangement under which Nware could stream PC games built by Xbox. Microsoft also said Activision Blizzard games would be covered if the acquisition closed. Reuters reported the agreement and its timing after the UK decision (Reuters); contemporary coverage described Nware as a Spanish or European cloud-gaming platform (The National).
| Term | What was disclosed |
|---|---|
| Announcement date | April 28, 2023 |
| Duration | 10 years |
| Initial content | Xbox PC games |
| Activision content | Conditional on the acquisition closing |
| Financial terms | Not publicly disclosed |
The announcement described licensing access, not a launch-day catalog. It did not publish a complete list of games, a release timetable, guaranteed regions, or a promise that every Xbox title would be streamable through Nware.
Why Microsoft announced it after the UK blocked the acquisition
On April 26, 2023, the CMA blocked Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard purchase, saying the transaction could reduce innovation and choice in the developing cloud-gaming market. Its concerns centered on Microsoft’s ability and incentive to control important content as well as distribution (CMA press release).
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Microsoft was appealing the decision and had already announced comparable licensing arrangements involving rival cloud services. Adding Nware supplied another example of its proposed approach: make major games available through independent providers rather than reserve them for Microsoft’s own cloud service. That was a commercial commitment and evidence of Microsoft’s intended strategy, not a regulatory approval.
The CMA did not regard such agreements as eliminating its concern. In its final materials, the regulator said 10-year cloud contracts did not materially change its assessment of Microsoft’s ability and incentive to foreclose rivals (CMA final decision).
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What Nware users were—and were not—promised
Xbox coverage meant PC games, not the entire Xbox catalog
“Xbox PC games” is narrower than “all Xbox games.” The agreement concerned PC versions that could be licensed and technically supported. It did not promise Xbox console exclusives in every format or universal access to the full Xbox library.
Activision access was conditional in April 2023
When the agreement was announced, Microsoft did not yet own Activision Blizzard. Access to Activision titles therefore depended on the acquisition closing. It was not a contemporaneous promise that games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, or Candy Crush were already available on Nware. Thurrott’s account makes that condition explicit (Thurrott).
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A contract did not guarantee immediate availability
Actual playability could still depend on Nware’s rollout, regional rights, game-by-game licensing, store or account entitlements, technical compatibility, and publisher decisions. The deal also said nothing about a particular resolution, frame rate, latency, device list, queue time, or subscription model.
Why the CMA still rejected Microsoft’s original remedy
Microsoft’s position was that licensing content to Nware and other providers—including Nvidia, Boosteroid, and Ubitus—would broaden consumer choice. The CMA’s position was that contractual promises might require lengthy oversight, could be disputed, and might not keep pace with a fast-changing market. In the regulator’s view, those commitments did not fully remove Microsoft’s ability to shape cloud distribution after acquiring Activision.
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This distinction matters: a private 10-year license can improve a rival’s access to games without resolving a merger authority’s concerns about market structure, incentives, or future innovation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changed after the acquisition was restructured
Ubisoft received Activision cloud rights outside the EEA
In August 2023, Microsoft restructured the transaction. Ubisoft received the rights to commercialize Activision’s cloud-streaming content outside the European Economic Area (EEA), and could license that content to other cloud services under its own commercial models. Microsoft described the arrangement in its restructuring announcement (Microsoft).
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Existing Nware obligations were preserved
Microsoft said the revised structure retained its existing contractual obligations to Nware and other cloud providers. The framework was therefore no longer simply a story of Microsoft directly controlling every Activision cloud right: Ubisoft held the relevant rights outside the EEA, while Microsoft retained rights and obligations needed to honor European Commission commitments and existing contracts.
The CMA cleared the revised transaction
The CMA approved the restructured deal on October 13, 2023, saying the Ubisoft arrangement addressed its previous cloud-competition concerns (CMA clearance). The regulator’s separate case materials explain the post-transaction cloud-rights structure (CMA inquiry).
Geography and access still matter
The agreement should not be read as a worldwide access guarantee. Nware’s operation, supported games, store integrations, and rights could vary by country. After the restructuring, EEA consumers and users outside the EEA were also covered by different legal arrangements. Microsoft’s European commitments are described in its policy statement (Microsoft Europe).
Before subscribing to any cloud service, verify:
- That the service operates in your country.
- That the specific game is supported in your region.
- Whether you must own it through Steam, Epic, Ubisoft Connect, a Microsoft account, or another entitlement.
- Plan limits such as queues, session duration, resolution, or priority access.
- Support for your controller, keyboard, browser, television, or mobile device.
- Cancellation, refund, and account-linking terms.
How Nware compared with other cloud options
| Service | Typical model | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Nware | Third-party cloud gaming with supported libraries or bring-your-own-game access | Microsoft agreement did not establish a complete catalog or current price |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Microsoft ecosystem and Game Pass entitlements | More tightly integrated with Xbox accounts and Microsoft subscriptions |
| GeForce NOW | Stream supported games that you own through compatible stores | Tiered performance plans and storefront-support rules |
| Boosteroid | Third-party subscription with supported games | Another Microsoft licensing partner |
| Shadow PC | Rented cloud Windows computer | More flexible software installation, but a different and often costlier model |
GameSpot reported a starting Nware membership price of $11 per month in April 2023, but that is a historical figure, not a verified August 2026 price (GameSpot).
What the agreement ultimately meant
The Nware deal was a significant 10-year licensing commitment and part of Microsoft’s effort to show regulators that Activision content could reach competing cloud services. It did not itself deliver a full Xbox or Activision catalog, did not satisfy the CMA’s original objections, and was later situated within a Ubisoft-centered rights structure after the acquisition was reworked.
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