When Microsoft first announced that it was purchasing Activision Blizzard, it was a stunning move that would become the largest corporate merger in United States history, which prompted a flurry of antitrust lawsuits from all directions. Now, a year after the deal has gone through,Microsoft has settled an antitrust lawsuitfiled in California by a group of private citizens arguing that now, Microsoft would restrict their gaming options. The cited examples were by releasing games as Xbox exclusives, raising prices and suppressing competition.
Microsoft paid a grand total of $68.7 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard,making it the most expensive corporate acquisition in history, and that’s not counting the legal fees accrued to fight for the deal in different courts around the world. Regulatory commissions in different countries had to weigh in and approve the acquisition to ensure that, as the citizen lawsuit implied, a new, competition-crushing gaming monopoly wasn’t going to destroy the industry. After the acquisition, Microsoft remains only the third-largest gaming company in the world, behind Sony and Tencent.
Microsoft Commits to Releasing Activision Blizzard Games on PlayStation Beyond Current Agreements
Reaching a settlement in this lawsuit is only one more legal battle facing Microsoft moving forward, and the true fallout of the Activision Blizzard acquisition has yet to be felt.
The lawsuit filed in California made the argument that Microsoft was firing Activision Blizzard employees, which is standard after an acquisition due to redundancy, and that the rapid rise of Game Pass was harming competition. Time has shown that, so far, the worst case scenario as described by the plaintiffs has not come to pass, even if Game Pass subscriptions are now more expensive than ever. Microsoft has also shuttered multiple studios, recentlyclosing several Bethesda studios, but the lawsuit has been settled out of court before going to trial. The details are being kept under wrap, but both parties will be responsible for their own lawyer fees.
Microsoft’s Ongoing Legal Battle
With one more lawsuit settled,Microsoft can now focus on the most recent FTC filing, from July of this year, alleging that theGame Pass tier changeshas degraded the product. Allegedly, this is counter to the promise made by the company in court that users could play newly acquired games, like Call of Duty, without paying more money. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is available on the service, with more games in the franchise arriving this month, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft is free and clear just yet.
Reaching a settlement in this lawsuit is only one more legal battle facing Microsoft moving forward, and the true fallout of the Activision Blizzard acquisition has yet to be felt. As cool as it is thatSea of Thieves is now on PlayStation, everyone is watching, from federal regulators to regular people, to see if the company will keep making games widely accessible or if it will force Call of Duty into a walled garden.
What’s The Better Service: PlayStation Premium Or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?
Having access to PS1 titles is nice and all, but you can play more day-one titles on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Ultimate gives you PowerWash Simulator too, which everyone knows is the best game in the universe.
