Microsoft has achieved another significant victory against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its ongoing efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has denied the FTC's appeal to block Microsoft's monumental $69 billion deal to purchase the company behind the popular Call of Duty franchise. This decision, made by a three-judge panel, puts an end to the FTC's challenge of the earlier ruling from July 2023 that allowed Microsoft to proceed with finalizing its acquisition, which was originally announced in late 2022 (via Reuters).
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft has been under intense scrutiny for over three years. Early opposition came from select U.S. Senators who raised alarms over the increasing consolidation within the tech industry as Microsoft expanded its portfolio. Both competitors and gamers expressed concerns that acquiring Activision Blizzard could mean popular franchises like Call of Duty might become exclusive to Xbox platforms. However, Microsoft has reassured the public that it has no intention of imposing long exclusivity periods on these franchises.
Every Video Game Franchise Xbox Owns After Acquiring Activision Blizzard
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Despite facing numerous challenges throughout 2023, Microsoft successfully completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October of that year. The FTC's recent appeal posed a potential final hurdle to the seamless continuation of operations, but with the appeal now dismissed, it appears that the FTC's pursuit has come to a close.
For a detailed timeline of Microsoft's journey to finalize its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, you can click here.
