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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Guardian staff and agencies

US agency moves to block landmark merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard

Microsoft Activision Activision Blizzard United States FTC Video Game
The Activision Blizzard Booth during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in 2013.
The Activision Blizzard Booth during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in 2013. Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved to block Microsoft’s takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard, citing concerns that the deal would thwart competition by denying rivals access to popular gaming content.

Microsoft, which owns the Xbox video game console system, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7bn, which would make it the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Activision is the maker of popular games including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

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