FTC announces suit seeking to block Microsoft from buying Activision

The Federal Trade Commission announced it is seeking to block Microsoft (MSFT) from acquiring Activision Blizzard (ATVI), alleging that the deal "would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business." In a complaint issued today, the FTC pointed to Microsoft’s "record of acquiring and using valuable gaming content to suppress competition from rival consoles, including its acquisition of ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (a well-known game developer)." Microsoft "decided to make several of Bethesda’s titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles," the agency said in a press release. The Commission vote to issue the complaint was 3-1, with Commissioner Christine Wilson voting no. Reference Link