Microsoft and Activision will miss their contractual merger deadline
The FTC has scheduled a hearing for August 2, well after the deal is supposed to close
Activision blizzard articles
Three-quarters of public comments want Microsoft to take over Activision Blizzard
In the UK, at least
In brief: It's no secret that Sony is vehemently against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but how does the public feel about it? About three-quarters of people in the UK who commented on the merger are in favor of the Redmond firm buying the gaming giant.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer claims Sony plans to grow by "making Xbox smaller"
"Sony is leading the dialogue around why the deal shouldn't go through"
What just happened? Microsoft isn't holding back in its war of wars with Sony over the former's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer says its rival is the "one major opposer to the deal," and it all comes down to Sony wanting to protect its dominance in consoles by making Xbox "smaller."
Blizzard employees say "mismanagement" is leading to Diablo IV delays and crunch time
Blizzard says, game is right on schedule and overtime is completely voluntary
FTC sues Microsoft in attempt to block Activision acquisition
Microsoft intends to fight it
Microsoft compares Sony to Blockbuster, confirms 10-year CoD-PlayStation offer
"It's as excited about this deal as Blockbuster was about the rise of Netflix"
A hot potato: Microsoft's president and vice-chair Brad Smith says that the FTC suing the company to block its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard would hurt competition, consumers, and thousands of game developers. He also compared Sony's objections to the deal to Blockbuster complaining about the rise of Netflix.
FTC vote ended split on suing Microsoft over Activision acquisition
A split decision means the FTC might approve the deal
Microsoft to head off the EU's January deadline with concessions to secure its Activision acquisition
The $69 billion deal also faces a possible FTC lawsuit
Microsoft reportedly offered Sony a 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
Another concession, but will regulators buy into it?
Most Blizzard games, including World of Warcraft, are being suspended in China
The games will go offline in January
European Commission staff member under fire for saying Call of Duty will remain on "my PlayStation"
Phil Spencer agrees with him
Facepalm: In another example of why people in the public eye should be careful when posting to social media, a European Commission staff member is facing claims of bias following a tweet about Call of Duty staying on the PlayStation.
Modern Warfare II becomes fastest CoD game to reach $1 billion milestone
CoD: Modern Warfare II needed just 10 days to generate $1 billion in sales
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II's opening weekend was the best in franchise history
Title landed just shy of a making a billion dollars in three days
Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition faces closer examination from the EU
Even if Microsoft gets Call of Duty, it might not appear on Game Pass for years
Microsoft says Call of Duty will stay on PlayStation "as long as there's a PlayStation out there"
Call of Duty won't become an Xbox/PC exclusive, says Phil Spencer
Microsoft reportedly planning Xbox mobile game store
The big picture: As UK regulators continue scrutinizing Microsoft's historic acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft revealed plans to build a mobile game store with Activision's franchises as flagships. Even with those iconic IPs, taking on Google and Apple is a herculean task.
An Overwatch 2 bug is causing sudden PC shutdowns, BSOD, and freezing
The Overwatch 2 launch has been beset with problems
Blizzard continues to pour gasoline on its Overwatch 2 dumpster fire
Players found their unlocked mains were relocked for hours while Blizzard was trying to fix two characters
EA CEO: Call of Duty Xbox exclusivity would be good for the Battlefield series
A hot potato: One of the biggest questions surrounding Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is what will happen to the latter's games, especially the popular Call of Duty series. They are fears that it will become exclusive to the Xbox consoles and PC, but at least one person appears to be hoping this scenario will happen: EA boss Andrew Wilson, who says CoD exclusivity would bring more success to the company's Battlefield games.
Microsoft/Activision Blizzard deal faces in-depth watchdog investigation
This is starting to feel like Nvidia and Arm
In a nutshell: Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is expected to face increased scrutiny from regulators in the UK and Brussels after the company failed to address concerns that the deal is anti-competitive and will prevent rival consoles and cloud gaming/subscription services from accessing Activision Blizzard games.
Call of Duty, Diablo, and Overwatch head to Game Pass as Activision deal faces tighter UK scrutiny
Regulators are worried about not just consoles, but also subscription services
Microsoft tells Brazil antitrust regulator PS4 outsold Xbox One two to one
No mention of current-generation numbers, though
Microsoft defends Activision Blizzard deal after Sony expresses fears over Call of Duty
Microsoft thinks Sony is afraid of Game Pass, says Call of Duty has plenty competition