Microsoft announced in January that it would acquire Activision Blizzard Inc. for $69 billion, the largest deal in the gaming industry. According to the latest news from Politico, the acquisition may change, as sources revealed that the US Federal Trade Commission may block the transaction with antitrust.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the review, questioned some of Microsoft’s arguments, which might lead to an antitrust lawsuit. However, at this stage, the four committee members have not yet voted, nor have they met with the lawyers of the two parties, and they may not necessarily file an anti-monopoly lawsuit. Of course, Sony is an active opponent, believing that the acquisition will cause the popular game “Call Call” series to be controlled by Microsoft, which will damage Sony’s interests.
A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard said that it will cooperate with global regulators to make the transaction go smoothly, but will fight to defend the transaction if necessary, and that the violation of competition laws is ridiculous. A Microsoft spokesperson said that in order to ensure that the transaction is completed in an atmosphere of trust, evidence has been prepared to relieve the concerns of regulators and Sony. Even if the transaction is completed, the market share is still lower than that of Sony and Tencent. In addition to the United States, regulators in the United Kingdom and the European Union have also launched investigations, which are not expected to be finalized until next year.
(This article is sponsored by Unwire HK Authorized to reprint; source of the first image:Microsoft）
