US EditionMicrosoft wins FTC appeal challenging $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal
- A federal appeals court on May 7, 2025, upheld a ruling rejecting the FTC's legal challenge to Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, completed in 2023.
- The FTC filed its lawsuit in 2022 and sought a preliminary injunction to block the deal, arguing it would reduce competition in gaming markets.
- The appeals court panel unanimously found the FTC failed to show a likelihood of success on the merits, affirming the lower court's denial of the injunction.
- The FTC contended Microsoft could weaken Activision content competition, but the court ruled this risk insufficient to block the acquisition at this stage.
- The ruling allows Microsoft to integrate Activision, signaling regulatory tolerance despite competition concerns and leaving an administrative FTC review pending.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Appeals court once again upholds Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
The Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's ruling that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard did not violate antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission had sued to block the merger of these large gaming brands on claims that the new entity would fall afoul of antitrust laws. In the court's ruling, released today, the FTC failed to prove that Microsoft would have blocked access to popular titles such as Call of Du…
FTC loses appeal to stop Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal that already happened
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has lost its appeal of a ruling in its case against Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In 2023, the FTC requested a preliminary injunction to prevent the companies from finalizing the deal while its legal challenge to the acquisition from 2022 was in progress. “With control of Activision’s content, Microsoft would have the ability and increased incentive to withhold or degrade Activis…
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