Next Gen.biz is reporting that the merger between Activision and Vivendi, Blizzard's parent company has been approved by the European regulators responsible for such things.

Regulators conducted a standard overview of whether or not the merger, announced in December 2007, would hinder competition in the European Economic Area. They found that the combination would not restrict competition.

However, what the deal will do is make the final gaming entity, dubbed Activision Blizzard, a considerably more formidable player in the videogames industry, particularly when compared to rival publishing giant, Electronic Arts.

The approval was just another step in the red tape of the merger, and isn't a shock or surprise to anyone.