The Activision Blizzard Merger With Microsoft Continues To Come Under Fire By FTC

gameranx.com:

When it comes to dominating news stories of 2023, one of the biggest ones by far is that of Microsoft trying to complete its purchase of Activision Blizzard. The goal of this massive merger that would cost them 69 billion dollars was to ensure that the Xbox brand not only had more IPs to work with but would give them a bigger “stake” in the video game market. The Xbox line of systems has done decently since its arrival but has never been the “dominant system” for multiple reasons. The merger has already been approved and is happening, so why is the case still going on?

As insider Tom Warren notes on Twitter, a big appeal for the deal will start tomorrow. Specifically, the FTC, who launched the initial attack against this deal alongside Sony, is trying to officially break up this merger even though it’s been approved. As Warren reveals, the twist is that a bunch of venture capital firms and a slew of investors have banded together to write a letter of support for Microsoft. You can see the letter in the tweet below, and they note why they feel the FTC is wrong for going after the merger like they are.

Microsoft is still fighting the FTC over its Activision Blizzard deal. The FTC’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals hearing starts tomorrow. Now 37 venture capital firms and investors are opposing the FTC’s appeal. Details here: https://t.co/ClhP3tISVB pic.twitter.com/AoCWOcCuqi

There’s much to consider here and just as much to break down. One of the most important things to note is that, again, the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard has already been approved by the courts and has already begun to happen. As one person notes in the comments, what the FTC is trying to do now is much harder, and it could downright be