FTC Loses Appeal, Microsoft Can Close Activision-Blizzard Deal Once It Clears UK Hurdle

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction in the FTC v. Microsoft case. This means that the company is now free to acquire Activision-Blizzard once it clears the final roadblock with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The deadline for the deal is set for July 18, 2023, assuming all the CMA’s concerns can be resolved by then.

Notably, this includes a 10 year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms.

According to the Financial Times (FT), sources close to the negotiations say that “things are moving quite quickly,” and that the companies are likely to agree to some sort of extension for the deal “early next week.”

[FT]

Previous coverage

Slade Watkins

Slade is the founder, director, and editor-in-chief of this website! In addition, he also makes videos on his own channel, and maintains his own blog. He originally started the site as a fun thing to do in his free time, but it has since evolved into his full-time job!

See author's posts