Gamers File Lawsuit to Halt Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard

Ten gamers have taken legal action in the form of a lawsuit filed in a US federal court in an attempt to halt Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The suit, which cites the Clayton Antitrust Act, alleges that the plaintiffs will suffer “threatened loss or damage” as a result of the deal and claims that the new company created by the acquisition will “substantially lessen competition” and “may tend to create a monopoly in various markets.” The acquisition, which would be one of the largest in the history of the video game industry, has been surrounded by controversy since it was first announced, including

Microsoft’s offer to Sony of a 10-year licensing deal to retain the highly profitable Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation platforms. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has recently filed a lawsuit in an effort to block the deal due to concerns about its potential impact on competition in the video game industry. Some experts have suggested that Microsoft should abandon the acquisition in order to protect its own interests, but the company has so far rejected this advice.