Microsoft has obtained the preliminary approval of the CMA for the acquisition of Activision, and it seems that the obstacles in front of the completion of the almost 70 billion dollar operation are fewer and fewer.
Meanwhile the two parties are preparing, finally, to definitively conclude the agreement, the US Federal Trade Commission continues its personal battle against the takeover. As reported by Bloomberg, although the trial between Microsoft and the FTC was suspended over the summer, the case will now be heard by the regulator’s internal administrative law judge, in the context of a trial-like case.
According to Bloomberg, the latest developments confirm that the FTC can technically continue to challenge the deal even after its conclusion, but this is unlikely to prevent it from going through. “The FTC continues to believe that this agreement constitutes a threat to competition” said FTC spokeswoman Victoria Graham, who confirmed that the FTC is placing the matter on the commission’s calendar, also specifying that “our current focus is on the federal appeals process.”
In response to the news, an Activision spokesperson responded: “We are focused on working with Microsoft toward closure. How the FTC uses limited taxpayer dollars is its decision.” A Microsoft spokesperson said: “We still expect to close the transaction by October 18th and we have full confidence in our case and in the benefits of the agreement for players and competition.”
