The Federal Trade Commission plans to sue Microsoft on Monday to block the company from closing its $69 billion purchase of video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard, the largest consumer technology deal in decades to block the federal government. stepping up its efforts, said two people with knowledge of the matter.
The move was the latest regulatory challenge to Microsoft’s blockbuster deal for Activision, which has become a test case for whether the tech behemoths can pull off a massive acquisition thanks to the firms’ power.
last year, the FTC sued to block Microsoft’s purchase of Activision through an in-house court, arguing that it would harm competition in various parts of the video game market. The agency is filing a separate lawsuit because, unlike the FTC’s in-house court, a federal court can issue a restraining order to prevent a deal from being completed.
In April, the British Competition and Markets Authority also moved to the block deal, although the regulators EU said it could go ahead,
A spokeswoman for the FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company welcomed “the opportunity to present its case in federal court”.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
