Microsoft and FTC Not Engaged in Meaningful Settlement Discussions

The Federal Trade Commission has confirmed that there are no substantive discussions underway between the regulator and Microsoft regarding a settlement over the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This was disclosed by FTC attorney James Weingarten during a pre-trial hearing. The FTC had previously filed a lawsuit to block the acquisition, citing concerns over Microsoft's history of making acquired games exclusive to Xbox, which could harm competition, particularly for PlayStation. Microsoft has offered to make Call of Duty available on Sony devices for the next decade. The case is set to proceed to trial in August, with both sides able to appeal the ruling. Despite this, a settlement before the hearing is still possible, although regulators have expressed skepticism about such agreements. The acquisition also faces scrutiny from the European Commission and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, while regulators in Chile, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia have approved the deal.