Microsoft welcomes FTC ruling on Activision Blizzard buyout of Xbox

Update: So, yes, the FTC has filed an injunction in an attempt to temporarily block Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard — and the trillion-dollar titan welcomed it. The thinking here, allegedly, is that the Redmond firm is playing 4D chess, and believes that by taking it to court earlier than expected it is actually going to speed up the end result. Which, of course, ultimately gets it what it wants.

Original article: The Federal Trade Commission, the USA’s antitrust department, is reportedly planning an injunction that it hopes will temporarily halt Microsoft’s long-running acquisition of Activision Blizzard. You’ll recall that the FTC moved to block the deal last year, with a hearing scheduled for August 2nd. after The July 18 deadline to join is coming to an end. Now, the division is seeking an injunction with a US district court to prevent the deal from closing before the aforementioned hearing.

Microsoft, of course, is already trying to overturn the decision by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which chose to block the deal back in April. The Redmond firm will appeal the decision starting on July 24, but if its case is successful, the decision will still need to go back to the CMA for a second review. So, while approved in most other countries, the buyout remains strangled by some very strong red tape – it will be interesting to see if the firm’s well-compensated legal team can finally untangle it all. or not.