A green light from the FTC for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard could be given next month. A few hours ago, the Redmond giant confirmed that it had responded to a second FTC request for documentation, and now the US government agency has 30 days to request more information or it will automatically have to approve the deal.
As a result, a deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard could be completed as early as August, with numerous IPs including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch and Crash Bandicoot officially becoming part of the already rich Xbox catalog.
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft was announced at the end of February last year. This is a pharaonic deal worth $68.7 billion. Therefore, this is a rather delicate deal, which inevitably led to a thorough investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
Microsoft plans to welcome Activision Blizzard into its stable by June 30, 2023. However, in May, company president Brad Smith said the acquisition process was progressing “quickly,” a sign that the deal could be realized well before that date.
