The FTC has withdrawn its attempts to block the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard will indeed remain a part of Microsoft. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially announced the closure of the case regarding the acquisition.
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According to the FTC, dropping the lawsuit best serves the public interest.
Microsoft has already commented on the FTC's decision. The company's president, Brad Smith, posted on X, calling the outcome "a victory for players across the country and common sense in Washington." He thanked the agency for its step.
Recall that the FTC filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in December 2022, nearly a year after the announcement of the deal. It claimed that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard would negatively impact competition in the gaming market and lead to the formation of a monopoly. Nonetheless, in June 2023, a court sided with Microsoft. The verdict did not satisfy the FTC, and the agency continued to defend its position until early May 2025, when a U.S. appeals court rejected the FTC's claim.
Despite the FTC's resistance, Microsoft completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in October 2023. Their deal became the largest in the history of the gaming industry.