Earlier today, a massive amount of information was leaked through documents surrounding the Microsoft-FTC case. Now, Xbox head Phil Spencer has issued a res??ponse.

In a statement made on social media, Spencer ??confirms the Xbox team has seen the leaks and conversation, but characterizes them as being old.

"We've seen the c??onversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team's work shared in this way because so much has changed and there's so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready."

- Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox

The Verge obtained an internal memo from Spencer sent to Microsoft employees today, which shares similar sentiments around the "un?intentionally disclosed" documents.

"I know this is disa??ppointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved," wrote Spence?r in the memo.

Plugging the leak

As part of a court order to resolve all sealing issues surrounding the FTC v. Microsoft case, documents were uploaded to a publicly available site. It was quickly discovered that a wealth of unredacted, non-public information was contained within, and the news qui?ckly swept across the internet.

Earlier today, the FTC asserted it had not been the cause of the leaks, saying Microsoft had provided the link. The document has since been taken offline, but ?it isn't so easy to put the water back in the bottle with? the internet.

The documents included info about a potential next Xbox, a prospective slate of upcoming Bethesda games, and hopes that Xbox could one day finally acquire Nintendo. It was a fascinating leak, providing a fairly big look into the planning and communications behind-the-scenes at one of the bigge??st companies in games.

Notably, these documents came from a ?set point in time. As Spencer notes, and most who follow the games industry know, things can rapidly change. But it will be interesting to see, years from now, just how much all of this pans out or diverges.

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Microsoft's battle concludes, the war rages on

The ongoing battle between Microsoft and the FTC has been a monumental spectacle in gaming history. Between accidental reveals and the announcement of games that alm?os?t certainly do not exist, it’s easy to forget that the fate of huge franchises like Call of Duty has hung in the balance amidst these legal struggles. Today, in a huge victory for Microsoft, a California judge has ruled in favor of the tech giant’s pur??suit to?? acquire Activision Blizzard by denying a preliminary injunction from the FTC to block the deal.

In less legal terms, this means Microsoft can close this deal ahead of its July 18^th deadline. However, it still has to contend with the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) in the UK, which blocked the acquisition back in April.

UPDATE: Microsoft and the CMA have a???greed to pause litigation to pursue further negotiations.

Even if Microsoft’s legal battles?? are far from over, today’s victory was enough for Xbox leader Phil Spencer to release a statement on Twitter.

“We're grateful to the court for swiftly deciding in our favor,�Phil Spencer tweets. �span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Since we first announced this deal, our commitment to bringing more games to more people on more devices has only grown. We’ve signed multiple agreements to make Activision Blizzard’s games,? Xbox first party ??games and Game Pass all available to more players than they are today. We know that players around the world have been watching this case closely and I’m proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice throughout this journey.�/p>

//twitter.com/XboxP3/status/1678785930079944704

The FTC has not given up

The F??TC sought to block the purchase due to concern over its impact on competition within cloud gaming and console markets. However, the judge ruled that the evidence presented did not indicate a lessening of competition within the gaming industry.

“This Court’s responsibility in this case is narrow,�the decision reads. “The Court finds the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.�/p>

Gamesindustry.biz reports that the FTC will announce new steps to continue fighting Microsoft’s deal “in the coming days.�/p>

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Elder Scrolls 9 was the best one

In case you haven’t heard, there’s been a whole thing with Microso?ft and the FTC going o??n. Something about companies buying other companies, I don’t know, sounds like another day of capitalism to me. The important thing for those of us whose legal knowledge begins and ends with watching 2001’s Legally Blonde has been the inadvertent game reveals that ??just can’t stop po?pping up. Yet despite all the juicy? news, the most recent “leak�has fascinated me on a profound level, even though I’m certain it does not exist.

As transcribed by The Verge, a lawyer representing Microsoft wanted to correct the FTC on some potential miscon?ceptions. The result is t??his utterly amazing quote.

Could I clarify one issue that counsel raised with you, when you were asking about Zenimax and asked him to find a game that was most similar to Xbox, he mentioned Elder Scrolls. That is incorrect. There are two Elder Scrolls games, one is online called Elder Scrolls Online �that is a multiplayer game, it is on PlayStation today. The game he’s talking about Elder Scrolls 16... the projected release is 2026 as a single-player game. It is not anywhere similar to Call of Duty?, w?hich as you know is multiplayer and multi-platform.

Look, I get this is a bit out of context, so I’ll give the lawyer some benefit of the doubt here. But if you think I’m not going to take this opportunity to joke about Elder Scrolls 16 with you then I won’t even finish-

[caption id="attachment_389919" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Moby Games[/caption]

Chapter 1: Morrowind

Firstly, nothing has ever made me contemplate my mortality more than the sheer thought of The Elder Scrolls 16 existing. My first memory of the series was with The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind on the original Xbox.

For those who never played this classic RPG, it tasks players with dicking around to increase their stats until they are strong enough to kill all the guards and become mayor of every town. At least, that was my takeaway when I was 13. The interne?t has since told me that there was apparently a storyline in that game. I’m going to need at least five sources on that befo??re I believe it.

I got a bit off track there. The point is, that was so long ago that Morrowind is allowed to drink in the United States now. Yet we haven’t even seen footage of The Elder Scrolls 6, let alone 16. By my estimation, if Bethesda does nothing but work on Elder Scrolls games, we should realistically expect Elder Scrolls 16 roughly 12 minutes b??efore the heat death of the universe.

[caption id="attachment_389924" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I already ran out of chapter names

Let’s not get away from the other important reveal here: “it is not anywhere similar to Call of Duty.�Oh thank god. I’ve been worried about that one. Easily my biggest complaint about Skyrim was that it was way too similar to Call of Duty. They’re both in first-person, you can?? shoot things ?in both, I rest my case.

Personally, I hope Elder Scrolls 16 goes in a whole new direction. First, they gotta change that camera. Put it in a dedicated third-person view so the camera can really zoom out and show you battle arenas. Second, spice up that combat. Even if you have to scale down the RPG elements, making enemy encounters fast and frantic would really bring a lot of new fans to the series. Third, for the story, I think they should watch Game of Thrones and I just realized I’m describing Final Fantasy XVI.

I dunno, I still think it’s a good idea.

[caption id="attachment_389918" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Chapter 16: I’ll be serious now (maybe)

So obviously you can chalk much of this quote up to a mistake. By Elder Scrolls 16, obviously the lawyer meant The Elder Scrolls 6. That is a video game that we may, theoretically, see before we leave this mortal coil. One could treat this as a leak, and believe The Elder Scrolls 6 will launch in 2026.

Now�at this point, I could toss out quotes by Phil Spencer and the like that might conflict with this claim. But frankly, I don’t think I need to. In a world in which Starfield hasn’t even launched yet, I cannot close my eyes, really focus on the words, and say “The Elder Scrolls 6 is coming out in 2026�without cackling like I just saw Mega Man take a bullet for Abraham Lincoln. There is no way in all seven of the hells that The Elder Scrolls 6 will come out in 2026. I’d be pleasantly surpri?sed if the thing even comes out within this decade?.

In short, I’m left with the sinking suspicion that Microsoft did not hire this lawyer based on their Xbox GamerScore. And if you see anyone that takes any stock in their claims, kindly tell them that they are wrong. But what do I know, I just write about video games. The last good video game I played was Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose for the SNES, and honestly, Todd Howard better come prepared if he wants the next Elder Scrolls to clear that bar.

_{[Special thanks to our Freelancer Andrew Heaton for tipping us about this story.]}

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Noted at the FTC hearings

If you have a hankering for zombie action, it appears Bohemia Interactive's survival game DayZ will recieve a sequel. That reveal comes courtesy of documents seen during the recent court case between Microsoft and the ?Federal Trade Commission.

According to a report from IGN, documents submitted as evidence during the hearings show that DayZ 2 is currently being worked on by Bohemia, along with Arma 4 and Arma Reforged. While details remain scarce, the slide does state that DayZ "remains one?? of the one of?? the most played PC console games to this day."

A Bohemia Interactive spokesperson told IGN that while the company is "expanding [its] focus regarding the possibilities of the DayZ game, brand, and team itself," it's not offering more details at this time. The spokesperson continued, saying there are numerous projects in ?development, and the publisher will make announcements "when & only after" it feels the time is right.

[caption id="attachment_389531" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bohemia Interactive[/caption]

Dayz of our lives

Though it began as a modification for Arma 2 back in 2013, DayZ eventually turned into a standalone game. It challenges players to survive in a harsh European locale during the afte?rmath of a zombie infestation. To succeed, you must gather supplies?? (including food and water) while dealing with the undead that come at you.

Like any tough survival game, you have more than enemy NPCs to worry about. Other players are as keen to stay alive as you, even if that means ambushing other humans to steal supplies. It's a pretty unforgiving experience, one on par with other releases in the genre, such as Facepunch Studios' Rust.

DayZ's last update launched in May of 2023, so for now, it looks like the plan is to continue supporting the original game. Given that the document in question merely states that Dayz 2 is in development without additional details, we can only guess how far along development is. We'll certainly learn more if and when Bohemia Interactive officially announces DayZ 2.

In the meantime, you can catch DayZ on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

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A surprising whoopsie in the ongoing court case

Currently, Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are embroiled in court hearings, over the former's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Xbox competitor Sony has also been part of the proceedings. And Sony has accidentally let some budgets info slip about Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part 2.

As spotted by outlets like The Verge, Sony submitted a document with redactions. This is a common practice; companies will redact important financial data on these findings. However, it looks like the redaction didn't hold so well. After scanning the document, numbers appeared vis??ible.

These numbers aren't quite shots in the dark (rather shots taken through Sharpie) but other outlets' and our own best guesses at the numbers behind the marks are that Horizon Forbidden West clocked in at $212 million to develop, with a staff of over 300. The Last of Us Part 2, meanwhile, came in at roughly $220 million to make, with roughly 200 employees at peak headcount. It also seems to reveal that, according to Sony, 1 million PlayStation players only play Call of Duty.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxDWGW7Z67I

The cost of making games

This came from a section of Sony's documents, emphasizing the availability of high-quality games on their first-choice console. The argument is that if Sony doesn't have access to the best games, as they're all on Xbox, then mo??st people will choose Xbox.

Hearing about these data points on budgets from Sony is fascinating, as it de-mystifies the numbers around making some of the biggest games in the industry. Though, I do think Sony would've preferred?? the data didn't get out.

We'll likely get more info as more people take the stand in this hearing, and possibly get closer to a decision on whether Activision Blizzard will become a new arm of Xbox or not. Much like the Apple-Epic court case, though, i?t could prove to be quite an illuminating period of discovery.

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Antitrust hearing scheduled for August

[Update: The FTC has been officially gr??anted the injunction filed against Microsoft. As such, Microsoft cannot complete its purchase of Activision Blizzard until th?e case reaches Federal Court in August.]

The United States Federal Trade Commission has requested that U.S. place an injunction preventing Microsoft from closing its proposed purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard before the FTC's antitrust lawsuit, set to take place this August.

Despite the legal opposition from the commission, as well as the approval rejection from the UK, The FTC believes Microsoft fully intends to go ahead and complete the $68.7 billion merger, and that "they may consummat?e the proposed acquisition at any time". The FTC filed suit against Microsoft back in December 2022, but the case is still yet to be heard in court.

The FTC has asked for an injunction p?reventing the sale from taking plac?e be filed no later than June 15, and that said injunction remain in place until the court makes its decision later this summer.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Mic?rosoft president Brad Smith writes: "We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court. We believe accelerating the legal process in the U.S. will ?ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market."

The FTC continues to build its case against the proposed sale ahead of August's hearing. The commission is expected to present arguments that Microsoft's ownership of the Call of Duty and World of Warcraft studio will create something of a monopoly within the industry, limiting player choice and confin??ing popular brands to MS own platforms. Microsoft has repeatedly denied that this is the intent behind its proposed pur??chase.

Pretrial briefs are expected to take place in July, with the court off??icially opening August 2.

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Did they only just hear about it?

In the latest chapter of a story set to run throughout 2023 and beyond, industry giants Google and Nvidia have reportedly expressed concern to the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard by publisher Microsoft.

According to a new report by Bloomberg, internet developer Google and graphics card company Nvidia have both provided the FTC with testimony in preparation for the latter's upcoming lawsuit, filed against Microsoft in early December 2022. It is reported that ?the testimony demonstrates concern that the purchase could give Microsoft an unfair advantage in regards to lucrative issues such as gaming subscription services, mobile gaming content, and cloud gaming support.

The supposed complaints from Google and Nvidia would join the previously aired opposition from Sony, which is most likely concerned over the possibility of losing access to Activision's billion-dollar shooter franchise Call of Duty. Should the lawsuit g?o to trial, which at this point seems incredibly likely, then spokespeople for all three companies could, in theory, be called as witnesses for the FTC's case. And that's a particularly mighty trio of brands to f??ace down, even for Microsoft.

Microsoft needs to find favor of the FTC before its $68.7 billion dollar purchase of Activision Blizzard can go ahead. Even once the lawsuit clears, MS would still need to seek approval from other global regulators, including the European Commission and t??he UK Market Authority. Furthermore, regardless of the? result of the trial, both parties have the option to appeal the judge's decision, seemingly guaranteeing this debacle will run into the tail-end of the year and perhaps even into 2024.

Google, Nvidia Express ?Concerns to FTC About Microsoft’s Activi??sion Deal [Bloomberg]

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Sooo... we good on that Activision deal?..

Micros??oft is currently running an ad in The Washington Post pub??licly declaring its pro-unionization stance.

The advert, co-signed by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), references the recently recognized ZeniMax Workers United branch, formed of over 300 employees within ZeniMax Media's QA department last week. Microsoft offered no resistance to the union vote following a deal made with the CWA wh??erein MS will remain neutral ??on all unionization matters in return for gaining the CWS's approval on its proposed acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard.

In the Washington Post advert, Microsoft openly states its plan to encourage unionization with Activision Blizzard, should the purchase be completed. Ultimately, this is most likely the key goal of the campaign: to drum up support from various anti-trust regulators �such as the FTC �to allow Microsoft to complete the massive $68.7 billion purchase. As we have previously reported, Microsoft and the FTC are currently at an impasse in regard to the sale, which will likely go before a judge in summer 2?022.

In fact, the advert also praises the FTC for its commitment to protecting competition and "promoting the needs of workers, economic growth, and American innovation". These comments differ somewhat from the publisher's earlier remarks that the FTC's actions were a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Clearly, the key point of the advert is for Microsoft to further assuage? concerns that its purchase of Activision Blizzard would be bad for the market, ABK's employees, or the?? gaming industry as a whole.

The lawsuit surrounding the Microsoft/Activision acquisition is tentatively scheduled to go to trial in August �assuming that an out-of-court agreement is not made between Microsoft and The FTC before then. Regardless of the result, Microsoft still has to win favor of other global regulators, suggesting that the road to this situation's conclusion still stretches miles?? ahead.

Microsoft is running an ad? in The Washington Post to say? that it’s cool with unions [The Verge]

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The tech company says it should have dropped those points

Microsoft has filed a revised version of its response to the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit over the Activision Blizzard merger. While similar in broad strokes, it does specifically remove a series of points questioning the constitutio??nality of the FTC's actions.

In a revision spotted by Axios, Microsoft removed a section claiming that the FTC was working counter to the United States Constitution or the 5th Amendment. While the new filing does still argue that Microsoft's potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard would not stifle competition, it has backed off on some of those aforementioned claims? that the FTC is infringing on rights.

"The FTC has an important mission to protect competition and consumers, and we quickly updated our response to omit language suggesting otherwise based on the constitution," said Microsoft spokesperson David Cuddy to Axios. "We initially put all potential argu?ments on the table internally and should have dropped these defenses before we filed."

Cuddy also says that the company is now "engaging directly with those who expressed concerns to make [its] position clear." Activision Blizzard has reportedly dropped similar language from its own claim.

The deal carries on

Microsoft is still working towards finalizing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as we near the one-year anniversary of when the deal was first announced. The $68.7 billion purchase became one of the biggest stories of 2022, as it k??icked off rounds of inquir?y from organizations like the FTC.

Earlier this week, FTC attorney James Weingarten said there has been no "substantive"? discussion between the FT??C and the company. If this continues, the trial for the suit is currently set for August.

Meanwhile, more has been happening at the studios under both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. QA workers at ZeniMax recently successfully voted to unionize, forming a massive union that Microsoft has elected to officially recognize. They follow in the footsteps of efforts at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany, whose QA departments also won votes ??to unionize last yea??r.

The post Microsoft retracts claim that FTC’s actions?? are unconstitutional appeared first on Destructoid.

No 'substantive' settlement talks between parties

The ongoing battle between The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Microsoft over the latter's proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard rages on �And, according to recent comments by the former, it looks like neither side has been willing t?o give up a singl?e yard, leading toward a clear impasse.

Speaking in a telephone hearing on Tuesday, FTC attorney James Weingarten noted that there has been no "substantive" settlement talks between the trade body and the publisher, suggesting that the two parties will have no option but to pursue the FTC's filed suit to legal trial, which is tentatively set for August?? of this year.

As we have frequently reported, the FTC is one of a number of statutory bodies that are currently refusing to offer its approval of Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard, first announced in January of 2022. The FTC is concerned that the merger of the two industry giants will create a monopoly, especially should Microsoft choose to make Activision Blizzard's titles Xbox-exclusive �The "Golden Goose" being billion-dollar shooter franchise Call of Duty. Microsoft, who denies any intention of keeping CoD all for itself, has fanned the flames somewhat by openly calling the FTC's actions "unconstitutional".

If a settlement is not reached before the summer, then the FTC's lawsuit, filed earlier last month, will go to trial, where a law judge will make the ultimate decision for the parties either way. It should be noted that both parties will have the option to appeal the result, su??ggesting that this impasse could continue well into the latter days of 2023.

Outside of the FTC suit, Microsoft will still have to seek the approval of other global regulatory bodies in territories such as Europe and the UK, meaning that this deal could still prove to be well over a year away from closure, at the very least. Of course, to worried publishers such as Sony, any such delay will likely be met with ??open arms.

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FTC complaint involved child privacy and unintended purchases

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced today that it will pay a total of $520 million in a sett?lement with the Federal Trade Commission. The total amount is accrued between two complaints, over privacy violations and tricking players into unintended purchases.

The FTC originally claimed that Epic violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection A?ct, or COPPA, by collecting personal data from children without obtaining parental consen?t. Having voice and text chat on by default in the settings while matching these players with strangers also harmed children and teens, the FTC alleges.

The Commission also claims Epic ??deployed trickery to "dupe" players, causing them to make unintended purchases and blocking access to purchased content as an obstacle for disputing charges.

As part of a proposed federal court order, Epic will pay two penalties in the proposed settlement: $275 million for the privacy accusations, and $245 million to refund customers over the billing practices. Additionally, the FTC also calls for Epic to adopt strong default privacy settings for children and teens playing Fortnite. This includes an option for text and voice communication to be turned off by default, something Epic has already implemented for unde??r??-18 players, alongside setting party invite defaults to "invite only" and personalized recommendations to off. The text chat's mature language filter also defaults to "on" for players below the age of 16.

Settling down

Epic has also already rolled out an option called Cabined Accounts. This is a setting specifically for Epic Games accounts that will require parental consent for certain options, like making in-game purchases or using voice chat. Users can still play games like Fortnite, Fall Guys, or Rocket League wh?ile cabined, but in "tailored" environment for younger users.

As for the shop, the FTC's allegations claim that Epic used "dark patterns" to trick players into making unwanted purchases. Confusing button configurations, charging account holders without authorization, and blocking access to purchased content are among t??he accusations. The $240 million portion of the Epic settlement will go towards player refunds over these i?ssues. The order also bars Epic from blocking consumers from accessing their purchased content for disputing unauthorized charges.

"No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here," said Epic in a statement. "The video game industry is a place of fast-moving innovation, where player expectations are high and new ideas are paramount. Statutes written decades ago don’t spe?cify how gaming ecosystems should operate. The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough. We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience? for our players."

The FTC also recently filed to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activ?ision Blizzard.

This article has been updated to clarify Epic's privacy setting options within Fortnite.

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The regulatory agency is stepping in

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard. The regulatory agency issued a complaint today, saying the deal would enable Microso??ft to "suppress competitors" to Xbox's console, cloud gaming, and subscription content.

In a press release from the FTC, the agency argues that Starfield and Redfall's Xbox console exclusivity runs counter to assurances given to European?? anti-trust authorities. The FTC also argues that Activision is one of a "only a very small number" of top video game developers in the world that create and publish games for multiple devices.

"With control?? over Activision’s bloc??kbuster franchises, Microsoft would have both the means and motive to harm competition by manipulating Activision’s pricing, degrading Activision’s game quality or player experience on rival consoles and gaming services, changing the terms and timing of access to Activision’s content, or withholding content from competitors entirely, resulting in harm to consumers," said the FTC in a statement.

An ongoing battle

Since the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal was announced earlier this year, the potential acquisition has been under scrutiny from various regulatory bodies. Microsoft has been trying to offer Call of Duty contracts to PlayStation, and it even brought Nintendo into the mix this week. Sony has claimed that this deal could hurt developers and consumers. All the while, Microsoft has seemed confident the deal will go through.

"We continue to believe that this deal will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers," said Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith in a statement on the FTC complaint to The Verge. "We have been committed since Day One to addressing c??ompetition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC. While we believed in giv??ing peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present our case in court."

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The CMA is looking into whether this deal is anti-competitive

The Competition and Markets Authority is looking into Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The UK regulator is officially looking into whether the deal could be anti-com?petitive.

September 1 is the deadline for the first phase of the investigation. In this phase, the CMA will determine whether Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal could harm ??competition, and if it should launch an in-depth investigation. It's also inviting comments on the transaction from any interested party.

"As with all merger reviews, this investigation will consider whether the deal could harm competition and lead to worse outcomes for consumers—for example, through higher prices, lower quality, or reduced choice," the CMA said (via GamesIndustry.biz).

Microsoft corporate VP and general counsel Lisa Tanzi said (via CNBC) that regulator??y scrutiny of the deal was to be expected. Microsoft will "fully coope??rate" with the CMA.

"We’re committed to answering questions from regulators and ultimately believe a thorough review will help the deal close with broad confidence, and that it will be positive for competition," said Tanzi. She also added that Microsoft remains "confide?nt?" the deal will close in fiscal year 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXS_YA9s7E

A massive merger

The scrutiny isn't a surprise, especially with a deal as big as Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard. The CMA in the UK is not the only one looking into it, either. The FTC is also investigating the deal, as chair Lina Khan told lawmakers in June. The FTC's investigation will?? look at, among other things, how the deal would im??pact workers at Activision Blizzard.

The $68.7 billion deal was announced in January, and made a lot of waves. With a portfolio of games including Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, Warcraft, and much more, it could be a huge deal for Micros??oft once the ink drie??s.

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The ink's not dry just yet, though

T??he next step in Microsoft's deal to buy Activision Blizza??rd took place today. Activision Blizzard stockholders voted to approve the proposal today, in favor of the acquisition.

According to a news release from Activision Blizzard, more than 98% of shares voted at today's meeting went in favor of the proposed transaction. The plan announced on Jan. 18 would see Microsoft acquire the Call of Duty publisher at $95 per share.

That's not the end of it, however. The Activision-Microsoft deal will be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which has blocked some prior tech deals like Nvidia's attempted $40 billion acquisition o??f UK-b??ased semiconductor firm Arm.

Lingering questions

A new report from Bloomberg also sug??gests that some on Wall Street are anticipating this deal won't go through. Microsoft's?? offer is well over Activision Blizzard's current share price, which Bloomberg says indicates investors see risk. Antitrust talk also has some investors concerned, according to Bloomberg's source.

Activision Blizzard has remained a subject of scrutiny since the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed suit against the publisher last year. Recently, a California lawyer alleged interference in the case after resigning.

The publisher also announced plans to move its U.S.-based QA workers to full-time with benefits. Yet a later report indicated that Raven workers, pushing to have their union recognized, won't receive new pay initiatives. And then there's the lingering question of whether current Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will?? stay CEO after the acquisition??, either.

It's all a bit messy, even as the Blizzard Entertainment side has ramped up public-facing game efforts. The World of Warcraft team just announced its new expansion Dragonflight. And the Overwatch 2 public beta is, as of this writing, underway.

Confirmation of whether this deal will close is expected by June 2023, so it might be a while? until we know for sure whether it all comes together.

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