July 17, 2023
Microsoft's Xbox chief announced Sunday that the company has reached a deal with rival Sony to keep Activision Blizzard's hit Call of Duty first-person shooter game on Sony's PlayStation following Microsoft's expected $68.7 billion acquisition of the game maker and the Federal Trade Commission's recent trial court loss challenging the tie-up.
July 14, 2023
A Ninth Circuit panel summarily refused late Friday to temporarily block Microsoft's planned $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, rejecting a last-minute request from the Federal Trade Commission hours before a deadline after which the deal can theoretically close.
July 13, 2023
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday asked a California federal judge to stop Microsoft Corp.'s $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard from going through while it asks the Ninth Circuit to undo a Tuesday decision opting against an early block for the transaction.
July 12, 2023
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday filed a notice that it plans to appeal a California federal judge's decision not to impose a preliminary block on Microsoft Corp.'s $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard Inc.
July 11, 2023
A California federal judge gave the Federal Trade Commission little in the way of a silver lining Tuesday by rejecting virtually every aspect of the agency's challenge of Microsoft's $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard purchase, from the alleged facts of video game distribution to the governing legal standards.
July 11, 2023
A California federal judge refused Tuesday to impose a preliminary block on Microsoft's $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard Inc. in what could seal the fate of the Federal Trade Commission challenge ahead of the deal's July 18 deadline.
June 29, 2023
A California federal judge appeared dubious Thursday of the Federal Trade Commission's bid to block Microsoft's $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard Inc. during closings of a five-day hearing, criticizing the FTC expert's analysis and suggesting others could create a game rivaling Activision's Call of Duty.
June 28, 2023
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick took turns testifying Wednesday in a high-stakes hearing over the Federal Trade Commission's bid to block Microsoft's $68.7 billion merger with the game-maker, with Kotick defending the deal as being good for investors and Nadella promising Microsoft won't foreclose competition.
June 27, 2023
Sony's PlayStation chief testified via video deposition Tuesday in a high-stakes hearing over the Federal Trade Commission's bid to block Microsoft's $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard that the tie-up would likely end Sony's collaboration with Activision due to concerns that the game maker would leak Sony's intellectual property to Microsoft.
June 26, 2023
A group of gamers challenging the proposed merger between Microsoft and video game company Activision filed a petition with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals contesting a ruling barring them from joining the Federal Trade Commission's suit attempting to block the deal.