Microsoft has reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of gamers regarding the Activision Blizzard deal.
The lawsuit, filed in California in 2022, argued that the merger could create a monopoly in the video game sector, subscription services and cloud gaming.
According to The Hollywood Reporterthis week both sides informed the court that the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
In December 2022, the group filed a complaint in federal court in California, arguing that the $69 billion deal could significantly reduce competition or create a monopoly, in violation of the Ley Clayton.
This private antitrust action was brought by 10 video game players in California, New Mexico and New Jersey, and was initially dismissed in March when U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley determined there was insufficient evidence to support their claims. .
However, the plaintiffs were given 20 days to adjust their legal challenge, and they filed a demand amended that included redacted information from Microsoft, as well as a strategic memorandum and new information from the main opponent of the deal, Sony Interactive Entertainment.
A Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters at the time that the amended complaint contained “unfounded and implausible allegations about the deal’s impact on competition” and that the acquisition “will bring more games to a greater number of people.”
