The deal is done. Activision Blizzard is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft after two years of regulatory investigations and in the face of protests from various corners of the games industry.
27.09.2023 - 18:31 / videogameschronicle.com
The US Federal Trade Commission has confirmed plans to proceed with its in-house challenge to Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
While the process was paused over the summer, the FTC’s case will now be heard by its internal administrative law judge in a trial-like process.
The decision follows a US appeals court’s decision to deny the FTC’s bid to pause the acquisition in July.
As it stands, Microsoft and Activision appear set to complete their $69 billion merger ahead of an October 18 deadline after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority provisionally approved the deal last week.
According to Bloomberg, the latest development means the FTC can technically continue to challenge the deal even after it closes but it is unlikely to stop it from going through.
“The FTC continues to believe this deal is a threat to competition,” said FTC spokesperson Victoria Graham. She said the FTC is placing the issue on the commission’s calendar, but that “our current focus is on the federal appeal process.”
In response to today’s news, an Activision spokesperson said: “We’re focused on working with Microsoft toward closing. How the FTC uses limited taxpayer dollars is its decision.”
A Microsoft spokesperson also said: “We still anticipate that we will close the transaction by October 18, and we have full confidence in our case and the deal’s benefits to gamers and competition.”
The deal is done. Activision Blizzard is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft after two years of regulatory investigations and in the face of protests from various corners of the games industry.
US tech giant Microsoft has completed its acquisition of games giant Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft has completed their vast $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, less than half a day after the UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) gave their approval to a revised package of concessions.
Microsoft is apparently not spooked by closing the deal on the unlucky day of Friday the 13th.
UPDATE: Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has announced that Activision Blizzard King is officially a part of Microsoft. This means that a cornucopia of big franchises, from “Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga” now fall under the Xbox banner.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), one of America's largest unions, believes Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard will «transform» the video game and technology labour market.
The decision in Microsoft's legal case against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a historic one, but for those who don't have a law degree, it can be hard to understand. The case surrounds the Microsoft Corporation's attempt to purchase the game developing and publishing powerhouse Activision Blizzard, Inc., an enormous conglomerate that counts,, and among its flagship properties. Microsoft first announced its plans to buy Activision Blizzard in January 2022, and the FTC's review began shortly thereafter. The legal battle began in earnest by June 2023, when the FTC filed its first documentation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given players on rival consoles, most notably PS5, some reassuring words about future exclusivity, or lack thereof.
Microsoft has officially welcomed Activision Blizzard to Xbox following the Competition and Markets Authority’s approval of the acquisition in the UK. The deadline was originally for October 18th and is for $68.7 billion. With its completion, studios like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Blizzard Entertainment, King and many more are now part of Xbox.
Following the final stamp of approval from UK regulator CMA and respecting last week's rumor, Microsoft has just announced the closure of its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, ending an odyssey that lasted nearly 21 months (639 days, to be exact).
After one year, eight months, and 26 days, Xbox has finally completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, meaning it now owns premium video game franchises including Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has finally given the nod to Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.