FTC drops case against Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially dropped its lawsuit against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC filed an bid to disregard its ailment connected Thursday, conscionable days aft it lost an appeal for a preliminary injunction to forestall Microsoft from finalizing its acquisition.

“The Commission has determined that the nationalist involvement is champion served by dismissing the administrative litigation successful this case,“ says the FTC in its filing. The filing brings an extremity to the FTC’s combat to effort and artifact Microsoft’s $68.7 cardinal deal, astir 2 years aft it originally sought a impermanent restraining bid and injunction from a US national territory court.

Microsoft won its FTC fight to bargain Activision Blizzard successful July 2023, and the woody was completed respective months later, in October, astir 2 years aft the acquisition was first announced. The FTC had appealed the ruling astir 2 years ago, but an appeals tribunal sheet affirmed the denial of an injunction earlier this month.

“Today’s determination is simply a triumph for players crossed the state and for communal consciousness successful Washington, DC,” says Microsoft vice seat and president Brad Smith. “We are grateful to the FTC for today’s announcement.”