Microsoft may seek to close Activision with FTC approval, WC says

U.S. Federal Trade Commission has revealed in preliminary hearings that Microsoft (MSFT) is prepared to close its proposed takeover of Activision Blizzard (ATVI) without the commission’s tacit approval, possibly setting the stage for a federal court battle over the deal, Windows Central’s Jez Corden reports. Microsoft attorney Beth Wilkinson said that if the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority and the European Union approve the transaction, it will proceed to close the deal, the author notes. The Xbox maker added that it will present any potential concessionary "remedies" it reaches with the EU and CMA to the FTC as a possible way to avoid a court showdown, the author says.