US agency moves to block landmark merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard

US agency moves to block landmark merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard

Regulators voted 3-1 to stop the biggest acquisition in video game history, citing concerns over thwarting of competition

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved to block Microsoft’s takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, citing concerns that the deal would thwart competition by denying rivals access to popular gaming content.

Microsoft, which owns the Xbox video game console system, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7bn, which would make it the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Activision is the maker of popular games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

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