Microsoft’s Activision Takeover Escapes Final FTC Challenge

Welp, after what felt like a year-long legal soap opera, the FTC has officially dropped its case against Microsoft’s mega acquisition of Activision Blizzard. That’s right—the $68.7 billion deal is no longer under legal fire, and the saga has finally wrapped with a quiet “we’re done here.”

FTC Taps Out

The FTC just filed to dismiss its administrative litigation against the deal, weeks after its request for an injunction was denied. Here’s what the official doc said:

“The commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this case… it is hereby ordered that the complaint in this matter be, and it hereby is, dismissed.”

Translation: they gave up.

Microsoft President Brad Smith wasted no time celebrating:

“Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington, DC. We are grateful to the FTC for today’s announcement.”

What Does It Mean for Gamers?

Basically, any legal roadblock to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard takeover has now officially been bulldozed. The deal was already finalized back in October 2023, just a few months after Microsoft won its case in court. The FTC tried to appeal… and that fizzled out like a wet firecracker.

So now Microsoft fully owns Activision Blizzard. And yeah—that’s kind of a big deal.

Monopoly Vibes or Power Play?

Let’s be real: Microsoft collecting studios like they’re Infinity Stones doesn’t exactly scream “healthy competition.” Activision Blizzard is one of the biggest publishers in gaming, and now they’re tucked neatly under the Xbox brand.

Is that bad? Time will tell. But when you combine that with recent trends—layoffs, price hikes, subscription chaos—it’s not exactly giving us warm, fuzzy feelings about the future of gaming.

Less competition usually means fewer choices, and that’s rarely good news for players.

Final Thoughts: The Deal’s Done, But the Concerns Aren’t

The FTC may be stepping away, but the “are-we-heading-for-a-monopoly” discussion is just getting started. Whether this turns into a new golden age for Xbox or another cautionary tale about corporate consolidation… we’re buckling in.