The British regulator has previously approved the deal Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, and earlier its terms were accepted by the European Commission. However, it turned out that the US Federal Trade Commission continues to consider the merger a threat to competition in the gaming market.
Let us remember that the FTC was previously against the deal and lost in court. Her appeal was also rejected, but the commission is not giving up. Technically, the FTC can continue to challenge the deal, but the actions of the antimonopoly authority cannot affect its outcome, which must be clarified by October 18.
A commission spokesman said the issue of the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal has been put on the calendar, and the body’s attention is currently focused on the federal appeals process. Microsoft responded to the news by saying that the company still expects to complete the deal by October 18, being fully confident in its correctness and the benefits of the merger for players.