Court Ruling Paves Way for Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard after FTC Appeal Fails

A federal judge declined to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, rejecting the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction.
The FTC appealed the judge's decision, but the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the FTC's request for an emergency stay.
Microsoft can now proceed with the deal pending approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, which is open to considering a revised proposal.
Activision Blizzard's stock price rose significantly after the court rulings in favor of allowing the acquisition to proceed.
The deal would make Microsoft the third-largest video game company and grant it ownership of major franchises like Call of Duty, but has faced antitrust scrutiny.