US Regulator , Takes Aim At Microsoft's , Takeover of Activision.
Regulators in the United States have reportedly
asked a judge to block Microsoft's proposed
$69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
BBC reports that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) said that the deal could "substantially
lessen competition" in the gaming sector.
The acquisition, if allowed to move
forward, would be the largest in
the video game industry's history.
The news comes after the United Kingdom
voted to block the deal, citing concerns
that it would hurt competition.
BBC reports that the U.S. trial
is set to begin in August.
According to an FTC court filing, a , "preliminary injunction is necessary
to... prevent interim harm." .
The regulator also said that
the trial will determine whether , "the proposed acquisition
violates US antitrust law.".
Microsoft's push to takeover Activision has
been under intense regulator scrutiny, with
only the European Union approving the deal.
BBC reports that the European Commission
said they approved the deal due to Microsoft's
promise to offer a 10-year free licensing deal. .
The deal reportedly promises that European
consumers and cloud gaming services will have
access to Activision's PC and console games. .
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority
(CMA) said they blocked the deal over concerns
that the massive acquisition would impact
innovation and lead to less choice for gamers