FTC Lawsuit for Microsoft-Activision Deal Was Prompted by EU Talks: Report

[Tsing]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on December 8, 2022, that it would be filing a lawsuit in an attempt to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal that the agency alleged would allow the Windows maker to suppress its competitors in the gaming space. According to an updated report shared by Bloomberg today, the FTC decided to do this because it learned that EU officials had begun talking with Microsoft about potential remedies, an implication that the deal had a real chance of approval—something that the U.S. apparently doesn't want to see happen.

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[Uvilla]

Has to be another reason for this, it bewilders me that they would really be worried about the 'competition in the gaming space'. An ax to grind or something? The gaming space will be fine acquisition or not.

 

[Grimlakin]

Of course there is an ax to grind. They have to license SQL server enterprise. This is a chance to claw back a small part of that spend. lol