It’s good news for Microsoft, as the tech conglomerate has won its case against the Federal Trade Commission, which means the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is good to go.
No road blocks now
In a report from The Verge, Jacqueline Scott Corley, the judge who presided over the Microsoft vs. FTC case, has denied the US government agency the “motion for a preliminary junction.” Therefore, the merger between the Xbox company and Diablo studio will go ahead.
Judge Corley sided with Microsoft, saying that “scrutiny has paid off.” The fact that Call of Duty will be “on PlayStation for 10 years on parity with Xbox” and that an agreement has been reached to bring the games to the Nintendo Switch went in the firm’s favor.
On top of that, a tweet from vice chair and president of Microsoft Brad Smith stated that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority will be halting its legal battle, saying that a “stay of the litigation in the UK would be in the public interest.”
The CMA moved to block the purchase of Activision Blizzard back in April, but it seems as though Microsoft and the regulatory body will now be pausing the appeal.
Some had concerns that the merger could lead to a video game monopoly, or give Microsoft a competitive edge in the market through ownership of one of the biggest developers in the industry. The company denied this, saying that it was actually trailing behind the likes of Sony and Nintendo.
At $68.7 billion, this is one of – if not the – biggest acquisitions in tech history. Microsoft has already merged with hundreds of companies in its 48 years, with the Activision Blizzard buyout being the latest in a growing list.
