Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion is easily the biggest deal of the sort the gaming industry has ever seen, and appropriately enough for an acquisition of its size, its being scrutinized heavily by regulatory bodies around the globe. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the EU’s European Commission are both investigating the deal further, while recent report also claimed that the United States’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed deal.
If that were to happen, Microsoft could be willing to enter legal proceedings in order to ensure the deal goes through. A newly published Bloomberg report states that the FTC is wrapping up its investigation of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision, and is expected to make a recommendation to FTC commissioners soon.
If FTC does decide to file a lawsuit to block the deal, Microsoft will reportedly be read to fight the blocking in court. In turn, if that were to happen, it’s likely that the deal’s approval will be pushed back beyond what Microsoft is expected (which would be June 30, 2023).
Recently, Activision Blizzard’s Lulu Cheng Meservey, said the company “won’t hesitate to fight to defend the transaction if that’s needed.” Earlier in the year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that the scrutiny of the proposed acquisition has been “fair and warranted.”