Microsoft might be about to hit a snag in its aquisition of Activision Blizzard, as it's been suggested that the FTC will file an antitrust lawsuit against the deal as several employees are reportedly "sceptical of the companies’ arguments." Microsoft has spent the majority of the time since announcing the planned acqusition trying to convince regulators like the FTC and CMA that its deal won't give it an unfair advantage in the gaming industry.
According to three sources cited by Politco (via VGC), the lawsuit could be brought to Microsoft as early as next month. The lawsuit isn't guaranteed to happen, but those reviewing the deal apparently aren't too convinced by Microsoft's arguments.
It's also worth noting that even if the FTC does file an antitrust lawsuit, it doesn't necessarily mean the deal won't happen. It simply means that Microsoft will have to fight for its deal in the US courts, very likely delaying its closure and heightening the possibility that the deal could collapse. Given the incredibly drawn out nature of the deal so far, it's definitely going to be much more than a slight headache for Microsoft.
Microsoft Wins FTC Court Case, Activision Blizzard Deal Can Proceed
The FTC loses its high-profile case against Microsoft, allowing the company to complete its acquisition in the US.As I'm sure you'll have seen over the past few months, Microsoft and Sony have both been pleading their cases to the CMA, the latter claming that the possibility of Microsoft making Call of Duty an exclusive gives it an unfair advantage. Arguments from both were made public earlier today, in which we found out Microsoft believes Sony wouldn't be negatively impacted by the deal as its exclusives are "of better quality" than Xbox's. Its words not mine!
We also found out from these documents that Sony thinks Microsoft wants PlayStation to become more like Nintendo and that the PS6 won't release until at least 2027.