FTC Files a Lawsuit to Block Microsoft’s Takeover of Activision Blizzard

The Federal Trade Commission has sued to block Microsoft from completing its deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard, the latest antitrust challenge to the proposed merger but one that could hasten a conclusion to the drawn-out dispute.

The FTC’s Monday filing in a San Francisco federal court seeks a temporary restraining order and injunction to stop Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of the California company behind hit games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.

Microsoft, maker of the Xbox game system, has been struggling to win worldwide approval for the deal with just over a month before the deadline to close it, according to the contract it signed with Activision. While a number of countries have approved the acquisition, regulators for two important economies — the U.S. and the United Kingdom — have argued it could suppress competition in the video game market.

Read the source article at apnews.com