United States of America: Filed FTC Complaint concerning Alleged Misrepresentation of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard

On 7 February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint and sought an injunction to temporarily pause Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In December 2022, the FTC first initiated legal action to oppose Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and sought a preliminary injunction in court to block the transaction temporarily. The court denied the request. The new complaint was filed in response to Microsoft's reported plan to eliminate 1’900 jobs in its video game division, contradicting the company's previous representations to the court. The FTC argues that these layoffs undermine the agency's ability to order effective relief should the pending administrative proceeding determine that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act.