The litigious era is over: FTC drops lawsuit against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
The saga that lasted for years and kept the entire gaming industry in suspense is finally coming to an end. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially withdrawn its lawsuit against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This decision clears the way for the full integration of one of the largest game publishers into the Microsoft empire.
Here's What We Know
At the beginning of this month, it was reported that the FTC was still fighting against the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger, but things were not going well for the regulator. Now, as the Commission noted: "The Commission has determined that the public interest is best served by terminating the administrative proceedings in this case. It is therefore decided that the complaint in this case is dismissed."
Microsoft President Brad Smith commented on the news, calling the decision a "victory for players across the country" and "common sense".
As mentioned earlier, the 9th Circuit Court recently decided to uphold its decision, stating that the lower court "applied the correct legal standards" and the FTC did not have sufficient evidence that Microsoft's acquisition would harm competition. Thus, all the legal obstacles that stood in the way of the merger have finally been removed.
Source: @BradSmi
