It's been a year since Microsoft announced its intention to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, but there are no signs of the deal going through anytime soon.

In fact, the EU Commission will reportedly throw another spanner in the works soon, with a refusal to hear any of Microsoft's remedies before publishing its own antitrust findings. And, while this might not prove to be a fatal blow, it could delay the process further.

The owner of Xbox is already facing a legal battle in the US over the acquisition, with the Federal Trade Commission suing the gaming giant to potentially block the move. Now Reuters reports that the EU regulator will submit its own "warning" about the bid. It is readying a charge sheet known as a statement of objections, according to "people familiar with the matter".

Microsoft had hoped to avoid this by preempting concerns and submitting remedies that could be acceptable to the Commission, thereby shortening the process considerably. However, this has been denied, so the likelihood is that the EU will not make a decision before its own preannounced 11 April deadline.

"We're continuing to work with the European Commission to address any marketplace concerns. Our goal is to bring more games to more people, and this deal will further that goal," said Microsoft.

The biggest reported concerns on the Activision Blizzard deal seem to concern just the one game series - Call of Duty. Sony has argued that Xbox could monopolise the biggest-selling title, although that has been countered by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and his team. They claim that deals to keep it on PlayStation for at least the next decade have been offered but not answered. Similar deals to put it on Nintendo Switch and keep it on PC (via Steam) have been signed, however.

In the meantime, Activision continues to operate as a separate, major publisher, although it is yet to announce any future games it has in development beyond Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 content packs and season expansions.