The Fair Trade Commission has cleared Microsoft on its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, filed in April last year.
This is another positive step for Microsoft following the European Union regulator’s approval of the proposed acquisition.
The FTC elaborated on its decision by focusing on the low market share of the most popular Activision Blizzard franchise games, which include Call of Duty, Diablo, and Starcraft. According to the FTC, Call of Duty and Diablo both account for between 0% to 2% of the market.
Similarly, the European Commission approved the acquisition after Microsoft offered insight into the recently developed area of cloud gaming.
Insight included users now having the possibility to stream Activision Blizzard games on all cloud streaming platforms, which significantly minimizes antitrust concerns.
The acquisition could increase competition since many streaming platforms will now have access to Activision games.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority had similar concerns but decided to block the acquisition, stating that Microsoft’s insights are not enough to ensure fair competition in the gaming industry.
“Microsoft’s proposals, accepted by the European Commission today, would allow Microsoft to set the terms and conditions for this market for the next ten years,” said Sarah Cardell, the chief executive officer of the CMA in a public statement.
“They would replace a free, open, and competitive market with one subject to ongoing regulation of the games Microsoft sells, the platforms to which it sells them, and the conditions of sale,” she added.
If it goes through, Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard will be the biggest acquisition to take place in the history of the gaming industry.