The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an emergency request to halt Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The frivolous lawsuit was filed by a group of “gamers,” who decided to go all the way to the top court despite all the odds stacked against them.
Lawmakers urge FTC to drop Microsoft-Activision matter
The gamers’ lawsuit met its end on Tuesday when Justice Elena Kagan denied their request to block the deal. Meanwhile, a group of lawmakers have written to the Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, urging her to drop the matter entirely. Despite having its request for a preliminary injunction denied, the FTC can continue to investigate the deal, seeking legal recourse later. The FTC has not responded or detailed its next steps.
In related news, Microsoft announced this morning that it has reached an agreement with Activision Blizzard to extend the deal’s deadline as it continues to negotiate remedies with U.K. regulator Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA is the only regulator who has blocked the deal outside of the U.S.
The merger is now set to close on October 18, 2023. “We’re optimistic about getting this done, and excited about bringing more games to more players everywhere,” wrote Xbox boss Phil Spencer.
