The Federal Trade Commission moved to block Microsoft’s acquisition of video game maker Activision. The deal would have been worthing a record breaking $69 billion.

The FTC blocked the merger after the UK opposed the deal, and the EU approving it. The FTC said the deal would “substantially lessen competition” in the video game industry.

Violating Antitrust Law

FTC filed a preliminary injunction against Microsoft “to prevent harm” and give it time to see if the deal violates antitrust law. This wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft dealt with antitrust regulators after famously getting surviving a break up over Windows and Microsoft Office.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority blocked the deal in April saying the deal would result in less innovation and choices for gamers.

Titles Upon Titles

A Microsoft-Activision merger will bring some of the hottest titles to Redmond, Washington. World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Call of Duty are massive titles produced by Activision/Blizzard.

The deal would put Microsoft in a powerfully precarious position of being the publisher for a long list of PlayStation games. Given the cut throat nature of the video game market place and the haterade given to the XBOX regulators are right to fear what may happen when Microsoft is the publisher for a bunch of PlayStation games.

Halo ain’t on PlayStation.

-MJ