Microsoft will fight US over $68.7B Activision Blizzard deal

By MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writer

Microsoft is headed for a battle with the Federal Trade Commission over whether the U.S. will block the tech giant’s planned takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Microsoft on Thursday filed a formal response to the FTC lawsuit’s declaring the $68.7 billion deal an illegal acquisition that should be stopped. For years, Microsoft has avoided the political backlash that has been directed at its big tech peers Amazon, Google and Meta. But the software giant now appears to be on a collision course with U.S. regulators emboldened by President Joe Biden’s push to get tough on anti-competitive behavior. The FTC claims the merger could violate antitrust laws by suppressing competitors to Microsoft’s Xbox game console and subscription business.