July 12, 2023
A U.S. judge has approved Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, clearing a major hurdle for the deal. The British regulator has also said it is prepared to consider Microsoft’s proposals to resolve antitrust concerns.
The deal, which would be the largest in the history of the videogame industry, has been met with opposition from some antitrust regulators. But Judge Corley in San Francisco rejected the Biden administration’s claim that the deal between Microsoft and Activision would harm consumers.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) argued that Microsoft’s exclusive access to popular games like “Call of Duty” would disadvantage rival console makers Nintendo and Sony. The FTC expressed disappointment with the ruling and plans to take further action to safeguard competition and consumer interests in cloud gaming, subscription services, and consoles.
The British regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), had also expressed concerns about the deal. However, the CMA said it is prepared to consider Microsoft’s proposals to address those concerns.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
