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

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.

The FTC voted 3-1 on Thursday to issue its complaint after a closed-door meeting, with the three Democratic commissioners voting in favor and the sole Republican voting against.

The US agency, which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws, said the merger could suppress competitors to its Xbox game consoles and its growing games subscription business.