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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteYes—the FTC has stopped challenging Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The agency dismissed its remaining administrative complaint on May 22, 2025, after the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court’s refusal to block the transaction. The deal itself had already closed in 2023, so the headline’s future tense is now outdated.
The short answer
The FTC’s Microsoft-Activision matter is now closed. The Commission’s May 22, 2025 dismissal order ended the agency’s administrative challenge, and the FTC’s case page lists the matter as “Closed.”
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That does not mean the FTC approved the acquisition or that a court issued a sweeping ruling declaring the merger lawful in every respect. The sequence was narrower and more specific:
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- The FTC sought a preliminary injunction to stop the acquisition from closing.
- A district court denied that request on July 10, 2023.
- Microsoft and Activision Blizzard completed the merger in 2023.
- The FTC continued its appeal and administrative case.
- The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of preliminary relief on May 7, 2025.
- The FTC dismissed its administrative complaint on May 22, 2025.
What the FTC was challenging
Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s largest game publishers. Activision Blizzard controlled major franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. Microsoft operated the Xbox console business and its associated gaming services.
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On December 8, 2022, the FTC voted to challenge the proposed transaction. Its complaint argued that Microsoft’s ownership of Activision Blizzard could harm competition in several areas:
- Console gaming: Microsoft could disadvantage rival platforms by restricting or degrading access to important Activision games.
- Game subscriptions: Microsoft could use Activision content to strengthen Xbox Game Pass while weakening competing subscription services.
- Cloud gaming: Microsoft could limit access to Activision games or make them less attractive on rival cloud-streaming services.
The concern was not simply that Microsoft would own another publisher. The FTC focused on the combination of a major platform operator with a publisher whose games—especially Call of Duty—could affect how consumers choose consoles and gaming services.
Why the acquisition went through
The FTC filed federal district-court litigation on June 12, 2023, seeking to prevent Microsoft from completing the acquisition while its administrative case proceeded. This was a request for a preliminary injunction, an emergency form of relief intended to preserve the status quo during further litigation.
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On July 10, 2023, the district court denied the FTC’s request. The ruling allowed Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to complete the transaction. The FTC appealed that decision, but the merger was completed while the broader legal fight continued. The procedural history is summarized in the FTC’s court filing.
A denial of a preliminary injunction is not the same as a final merits judgment saying that every aspect of the acquisition is lawful. At that stage, the question was whether the FTC had shown the basis for blocking the deal temporarily while its administrative challenge moved forward.
Why the legal fight continued after the deal closed
There were two connected but distinct proceedings:
| Proceeding | Purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Federal district-court case | The FTC sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the acquisition from closing. | The request was denied on July 10, 2023. |
| Ninth Circuit appeal | The FTC challenged the denial of preliminary relief. | The court affirmed the lower court on May 7, 2025. |
| FTC administrative case | The Commission pursued its separate merger challenge before its administrative process. | The complaint was dismissed on May 22, 2025. |
The FTC’s administrative matter was withdrawn from adjudication in July 2023 and later returned to adjudication on September 26, 2023. That history explains why the agency’s case page may contain older references to a future evidentiary hearing even though the matter is now closed. The page preserves historical filings; the current status and dismissal order determine the present answer.
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What the Ninth Circuit decided
On May 7, 2025, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction. The appellate record addressed the FTC’s concerns about Microsoft’s ability and incentive to restrict Activision content, along with Microsoft’s representations about access to games and the wider regulatory context.
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After that ruling, the FTC decided that “the public interest is best served” by dismissing the administrative litigation. The Commission’s order cites the Ninth Circuit’s decision and dismisses the complaint; it does not announce a new negotiated behavioral settlement or a separate set of merger-specific conditions.
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What the dismissal means for Microsoft and gamers
Most importantly, the FTC no longer had an active proceeding in this matter seeking to block or unwind the acquisition. Microsoft’s ownership of Activision Blizzard was not reversed by the dismissal.
The case’s end also does not answer every question about how Microsoft will manage Activision Blizzard’s games. Questions about Call of Duty availability, subscriptions, cloud services, pricing, and platform strategy depend on Microsoft’s business decisions and on particular contractual or regulatory commitments.
Microsoft made public and contractual commitments concerning access to Call of Duty on rival platforms. Those commitments should not automatically be described as remedies imposed by the FTC. Some arrangements involved other regulators or private contracts, and their duration, territory, and platform coverage must be considered separately. The Ninth Circuit opinion discusses relevant representations and regulatory context, but it is not a blanket guarantee that every Activision game will remain available everywhere.
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Could the FTC challenge Microsoft again?
The closed matter does not give Microsoft permanent immunity from antitrust enforcement. It means that this particular FTC proceeding concerning the Activision Blizzard acquisition was dismissed.
Regulators could, in general, investigate later conduct, changed market conditions, or alleged violations involving a different legal theory or a different set of facts. That possibility should not be confused with reopening this dismissed administrative complaint. The May 22 order ended the identified proceeding; it did not declare Microsoft exempt from future scrutiny.
Likewise, claims that the FTC dismissed the case solely because of a change in administration go beyond what the official order establishes. Political context may be part of broader commentary, but the documented legal sequence is the district court’s denial of preliminary relief, the Ninth Circuit’s affirmance, and the Commission’s subsequent dismissal.
Timeline of the FTC’s Microsoft-Activision case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 8, 2022 | The FTC voted to challenge Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. |
| June 12, 2023 | The FTC filed federal litigation seeking to prevent the transaction from closing while the administrative case proceeded. |
| July 10, 2023 | The district court denied the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction. |
| July 2023 | The FTC withdrew the administrative matter from adjudication. |
| September 26, 2023 | The FTC returned the administrative matter to adjudication. |
| 2023 | Microsoft and Activision Blizzard completed the acquisition. |
| May 7, 2025 | The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of preliminary injunctive relief. |
| May 22, 2025 | The FTC dismissed its administrative complaint. |
| August 18, 2026 | The FTC case page listed the matter as closed. |
Bottom line
The FTC did finally stop pursuing its challenge to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition—but it happened on May 22, 2025, not as a future event in 2026. The merger had already closed in 2023 after courts declined to block it, and the FTC dismissed the remaining administrative case after the Ninth Circuit upheld that decision.
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