![]() The FTC refuted those suggestions in its complaint. It also said Activision Blizzard doesn't have any "must-have" games, despite having some of the most popular titles in the world (including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft) under its umbrella. ![]() For one thing, Microsoft has claimed that Sony has more exclusive games, "many of which are better quality," in a filing with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Microsoft and Activision have been downplaying the significance of the deal in an attempt to appease regulators and push it through. Call of Duty will also remain on Steam as part of a separate pact with Valve. Just ahead of the FTC's vote, Microsoft said it struck a deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty games to the company's systems if the merger closes. However, Microsoft has said it wants to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and it claims to have offered Sony a 10-year agreement to that effect. It has expressed concern that Microsoft would make games such as Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox platforms, which could cost Sony hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Sony is the merger's most prominent opponent. Regulators in other jurisdictions have been taking a close look at the deal, including in the UK and the European Union (which should complete its investigation by late March). If the acquisition hasn't closed by then, the companies will have to renegotiate the agreement or even walk away from the merger. That was the deadline Microsoft and Activision set for closing the deal. While the lawsuit doesn't necessarily kill the deal, it's unlikely to be resolved by July, as Politico, which had reported that an FTC bid to block the merger was likely, recently noted. "Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesda's titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles." "The FTC pointed to Microsoft’s record of acquiring and using valuable gaming content to suppress competition from rival consoles, including its acquisition of ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (a well-known game developer)," the agency said in a press release. Wilson voted against the suit in a closed-door meeting. ![]() The lone Republican Commissioner Christine S. ![]() The FTC's commissioners voted in favor of the lawsuit along party lines, with the three Democratic members approving it. ![]()
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