Microsoft Wins Court Case Against FTC, Clears Acquisition of Activision Blizzard King

In a major legal victory, Microsoft has emerged triumphant in its court battle against the United States’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC), allowing it to proceed with its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard King. This acquisition, valued at $68.7 billion, includes popular titles such as Diablo 4, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush.

Last week’s proceedings generated significant buzz in the gaming community, with Activision Blizzard’s affairs laid bare and even bringing Sony into the spotlight as a court error revealed details about their game expenditures, including The Last of Us Part 2. However, despite the attention-grabbing drama, the case was ultimately seen as a referendum on the fate of the deal itself.

The central issue in the courtroom was whether the FTC should be granted an injunction to temporarily halt the acquisition while further investigation took place. The court’s decision has undoubtedly paved the way for the deal’s completion.

A notable aspect of this legal battle has been the involvement of the parties on social media. Following the hearing, Xbox chief Phil Spencer took to Twitter, asserting, “The evidence showed the Activision Blizzard deal is good for the industry, and the FTC’s claims about console switching, multi-game subscription services, and cloud don’t reflect the realities of the gaming market.”

Spencer further emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to expanding game accessibility and choice across platforms, saying, “Since we first announced this deal, our commitment to bringing more games to more people on more devices has only grown. We’ve signed multiple agreements to make Activision Blizzard’s games, Xbox first-party games, and Game Pass available to even more players.” He expressed pride in the company’s efforts to enhance player access and choice throughout the acquisition process.

While the acquisition faces opposition from the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which blocked the deal in April citing Microsoft’s dominance in cloud gaming, an ongoing appeal by Microsoft aims to overturn the decision and secure approval from the UK as well.

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