Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard temporarily blocked by FTC restraining order
The case will now be seen in court much sooner than before.
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What you need to know
There’s yet another update in one of the biggest ongoing stories in gaming.
Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard is officially blocked in the U.S. via atemporary restraining orderobtained by the FTC, following the regulator’sreported attempt to obtain the order. Per the terms of the restraining order, Microsoft cannot finalize its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard until five days after the case is seen and ruled on by a federal judge on June 22 and 23, or at a day specified by the judge.
Microsoft and Activision must file a brief for the hearing by June 16, while the FTC has to file its response by June 20.
Previously, the FTC had been content to merely sue to block the purchase, with a trial set for the FTC’s in-house court in August. This also comes as Microsoft isappealing the decisionby theCMA in the U.K. to block the deal. Outside of these two countries, Microsoft has received numerous approvals,including from the EUand China.
If the deal goes through, it will see Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, and King added to the Xbox first-party portfolio. Blizzard Entertainment recently releasedDiablo 4, which is thefastest-selling Blizzard game ever so far.
Windows Central’s take
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have welcomed the news, as it means the process is being greatly sped up, at least in the U.S. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out, but the U.S. side of this long-running regulatory battle should be wrapped up much faster than expected one way or another, quite possibly before the month is done.
No matter what happens in the coming months, there’s a wide range of big games available on Microsoft’s latest gaming console, with more titles on the way like Bethesda Game Studios' Starfield and Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport.
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
