- The FTC is still going against Microsoft for acquiring Activision Blizzard.
- However, Microsoft claims Sony is also continuing its campaign against the deal after the company hoped everything had been cleared up.
- Microsoft has now requested more documents from Sony as it continues to face the FTC.
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard purchase of nearly $69 million marked the industry’s biggest acquisition in 2023. However, even with the purchase going through, the FTC shared its intentions to continue opposing the case.
Continuing its administrative case against Microsoft, the FTC has involved parties like Ubisoft and Sony in the case. In a recent document from the FTC, Microsoft reflected on the situation, noting that Sony is still trying to campaign against the merger.
Why it matters: A recent leak suggested that Sony fears the Activision merger as it can prove to be a significant threat to the company’s gaming business.
The FTC recently released a new document, with Microsoft stating that Sony provided 52 cherry-picked documents for the case, and half of them had nothing to do with the ongoing case.
Microsoft also remarked that it expected the 10-year Call of Duty deal to bring an end to Sony’s campaign against the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In the document, Microsoft said:
“One would think that would have marked the end of SIE’s campaign. It did not.”
Continuing the current case, Microsoft now seeks more documents from Sony. The company has subpoenaed Sony, looking to have executives like CEO Jim Ryan, Senior Director Greg Mccurdy, and others involved in a search.
Ultimately, Microsoft aims to gather a complete set of materials, hoping to combat Sony’s approach of providing cherry-picked documents. The company also wants to highlight Sony’s internal assessments related to the Call of Duty deal, among other documents surrounding the merger.
Still, Sony has opposed this proposal from Microsoft. The company has a few more weeks to respond as the deposition deadline has been set for 17 January.
Elsewhere, Microsoft continues to clash with the FTC. With Ubisoft becoming involved in the matter after Microsoft handed Activision Blizzard streaming rights to the company, the regulator has requested detailed documents highlighting this partnership.
However, Microsoft has been less than willing to comply with all of the FTC’s demands.
It appears Sony is still clinging to the smallest hope of stopping Activision Blizzard and Microsoft from becoming too powerful. At least, this is what Microsoft believes, judging by its recent comments on the company’s supposed campaign against the merger.
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