Catenaa, Monday, May 26, 2025-The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially ended its legal effort to block Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, marking the conclusion of a nearly two-year regulatory battle over the gaming industry’s largest-ever merger.
The FTC filed an order to dismiss its administrative complaint on Thursday, days after an appeals court denied its request to halt the deal. In its filing, the commission stated, “The public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this case.”
The dismissal follows Microsoft’s legal victory in July 2023, when a U.S. federal judge rejected the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the acquisition. The deal was finalized in October 2023, but the FTC had continued to pursue an appeal until this month’s court ruling effectively closed the door.
“Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington, DC,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president. He added that the company is “grateful to the FTC for today’s announcement.”
The conclusion of the case cements Microsoft’s acquisition of the gaming giant behind titles like “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft,” and reshapes the global gaming landscape under one of the tech industry’s most powerful players.
