- The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court has rejected the FTC's latest appeal against Microsoft, clearing the way for the integration of Activision Blizzard.
- Activision Blizzard is now officially part of Xbox, and the process of integrating its franchises into the Microsoft ecosystem has begun.
- The deal was formally closed in October 2023 following multiple international regulatory reviews.
- Microsoft maintains regulatory commitments, such as allowing games to be available on other platforms, although there have been price increases for services and titles.
The last legal hurdle to Microsoft's historic acquisition of Activision Blizzard has cleared. following the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The court rejected the appeal filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), thus culminating one of the longest and most high-profile legal proceedings in the video game industry.
Since the final closing of the agreement in October 2023, after obtaining the green light from the regulatory bodies of the United Kingdom and the European Union, Microsoft was only waiting for the final resolution in the US courts. to put any major challenges behind us. Now, The integration of Activision Blizzard into the Xbox structure is a reality that revolutionizes the industry landscape.
The court ruling that clears the way for Microsoft
La The Ninth Circuit's decision was unanimousThe judges upheld Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley's earlier ruling, which had denied the FTC an injunction to halt the transaction. According to the court, the regulatory arguments failed to demonstrate that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard posed a real threat to competition.
Although the US regulator had persistently appealed to higher courts, these latest defeats and leadership changes at the FTC make further legal recourse more difficult.
Integration and future plans in the Xbox ecosystem
With Activision Blizzard now fully integrated into MicrosoftRenowned franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, and Overwatch are now part of the Xbox division's assets. The company has already made progress on plans to incorporate these titles into services like Xbox Game Pass, which promises to expand the offering for its subscribers and strengthen its position against other competing platforms.
The regulatory promises made by Microsoft during the approval process continue to be largely fulfilled. Commitment to maintaining the availability of series like Call of Duty on competing consoles —including PlayStation— and the desire to bring games to a wider audience have been cornerstones of negotiations with international authorities.
Changes in prices and services after the acquisition
This complex process It has not been without controversy regarding the prices of associated services and games.Over the past few years, Microsoft has increased the prices of its popular Game Pass subscription, and has announced that titles developed by the company's studios, including Activision Blizzard, will have a higher standard price, both in dollars and euros. This change follows the industry trend, where Sony and Nintendo have also adjusted the prices of their consoles and games.
Activision Blizzard has also experimented an internal restructuring which has meant some layoffs and team reorganization, in line with the strategic changes that Microsoft has been implementing following major acquisitions.
Global impact on the industry and future outlook
La acquisition of Activision Blizzard for more than $68.000 billion This translates not only into Microsoft's largest transaction in the sector's history, but also into a new balance of power in the video game industry. The integration of studios and franchises under the Xbox umbrella strengthens the American technology company's catalog and influence globally.
The deal has also sparked debates about competition, innovation, and consumer access to essential titles, especially with the strategy of pushing releases to rival platforms and subscription services.
After overcoming all legal and regulatory obstacles, Microsoft strengthens its presence as one of the major players in the video game industry., now managing some of the most popular titles, and investing heavily in the integration of its digital services.
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