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The FTC recently vowed to expand antitrust enforcement and regulation.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

February 1, 2022

1 Min Read

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be handling the U.S. antitrust review of Microsoft's staggering Activision Blizzard acquisition, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The Xbox maker agreed to purchase Activision Blizzard, the company behind major franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, for $68.7 billion last month. 

The FTC and Department of Justice review most large transactions with the potential to affect commerce in the United States, conducting investigations designed to prevent deals that will "substantially lessen competition."

The two bodies share jurisdiction over merger review, with transactions being assigned to one agency on a case-by-case basis. As noted by Bloomberg, the FTC is viewed as the more aggressive of the two after vowing to expand antitrust enforcement and regulation in 2021.

The FTC has already sued to block two major tech takeovers including Nvida's proposed purchase of Arm and Lockheed Martin's deal for Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Microsoft declined to comment on the matter when approached by Bloomberg.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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