After five days of testimony, the court ruled in favor of Microsoft in its battle against the FTC. As a result, Microsoft will finally be allowed to purchase Activision/Blizzard. Microsoft first announced its intentions to buy Activision/Blizzard in early 2022. Later that year, the FTC sued them to block their purchase of the company. The court’s monumental decision will undoubtedly have massive implications for the industry’s future.
The deadline for the deal quickly approached on July 18, so the court expedited this case. It is expected that the company will close on this purchase before the deadline.
Microsoft vs. the FTC
Earlier today, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley announced that the court would allow Microsoft to acquire Activision/Blizzard. In the official ruling submitted, she stated that the court had analyzed the FTC and Microsoft’s points with “scrutiny.” She mentions how “Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for ten years on parity with Xbox.” She further mentioned how they have “made an agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Switch.” In summary, the FTC’s attempt to block Microsoft’s purchase of Activision/Blizzard has been denied.
In an official statement, Phil Spencer commented: “We’re grateful to the court for swiftly deciding in our favor. The evidence showed the Activision Blizzard deal is good for the industry and the FTC’s claims about console switching, multi-game subscription services, and cloud don’t reflect the realities of the gaming market.” Spencer goes on to say that since they “first announced this deal, [their] commitment to bringing more games to more people on more devices has only grown.” Spencer’s comments further confirm the court’s ruling that Microsoft intends to bring Activision/Blizzard games to other consoles besides the Xbox.
