FTC to hold antitrust review of Microsoft’s $70 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition

Sony's newly announced acquisition of Bungie isn't the merger making headlines this week. Microsoft's recent deal with Activision Blizzard is now back in the news, as the FTC reveals plans to review the deal on antitrust grounds. 

As reported by Bloomberg, the US Federal Trade Commission is conducting an antitrust review of Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The deal, which was announced during the same week that the FTC and US Justice Department agreed to be stricter on acquisitions and mergers, is the largest in gaming history.

While the deal is absolutely massive, combining Xbox and Activision Blizzard's current revenues doesn't result in Microsoft becoming the largest video game publisher. Once merged, Xbox still falls behind Sony's PlayStation and Tencent when it comes to revenue.

Microsoft, Activision and the FTC have not publicly commented on this review yet. While questions are being asked by regulators much sooner than expected, Microsoft was always going to have to answer them eventually. Currently, Microsoft expects to complete the acquisition by June 2023.

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KitGuru Says: Microsoft is still pretty far off from being a gaming monopoly, as competition between console makers and rival publishers remains fierce. Still, we'll have to wait and see what regulators have to say about the deal in the months to come. 

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