The latest chapter in the saga of Microsoft’s attempt to buy Activision Blizzard has unfolded. CNBC is reporting that the Federal Trade Commission will file an injunction today, June 12, to try to stop the deal from finalizing before its July 18 deadline.
This would be the FTC’s latest action against the deal, following the government group’s lawsuit against Microsoft at the end of 2022. A spokesperson for Microsoft told CNBC that an injunction would be good because it would help move the process along faster.
That’s because the FTC, as part of its original lawsuit that pre-dates a potential injunction, is trying to have its own administrative law judge make a decision on the case. That process isn’t scheduled to begin until August. Microsoft believes in its case (of course), so the company wanting the legal process to get going faster makes sense.