A federal judge has struck down the FTC’s preliminary injunction against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard ahead of a July 18 deadline.
Thanks to a ruling by California Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, the company could close a $69 billion deal with the “Call of Duty” maker.
That depends on Microsoft’s willingness to close its UK operations, as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal in April, The Verge reported. Microsoft has appealed the decision, with a hearing scheduled for July 28. Both parties may come to the negotiating table. In May, the European Commission approved the merger.
This means that Microsoft will get Activision Blizzard’s various IP, such as “Call of Duty” series, “Candy Crush Saga”, “Crash Bandicoot”, “Diablo”, “Guitar Hero”, “Hearthstone”, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, Skywalker, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft, Warcraft, World of Warcraft and Tony Hawk.
The FTC is likely to appeal the judge’s decision, as the government agency said it would announce next steps in the coming days. It is also free to file an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft.
Meanwhile, the Communications Workers union (CWM) issued a statement applauding Judge Corley’s decision to deny the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also issued a statement saying the merger would benefit consumers and workers and “promote competition rather than allowing entrenched market leaders to continue to dominate our rapid growth.” industry.”
Microsoft announced in January 2022 that it would acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion.
