Call of Duty Publisher’s CEO Says FTC Will Be “Wasting Taxpayer Money” With an Appeal Against Judge’s Ruling on Microsoft’s Proposed Acquisition

Despite the recent decision by Judge Corley in the FTC v. Microsoft case, the battle seems far from being over. That’s because the American regulator is now set to file an appeal against the ruling involving Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard.

On Tuesday, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied FTC’s motion for a Preliminary Injunction (PI) on the deal. Many people believed that the case is closed now. However, the situation just recently took a new turn this week.

Bobby Kotick criticizes FTC’s move to appeal against Judge Corley’s decision on Microsoft and Call of Duty publisher’s deal

Had the PI been granted, it would have blocked the record-setting $68.7 billion deal. But the decision, following a five-day hearing, left the supporters of Microsoft delighted. On the other hand, FTC has now decided to appeal against this verdict. Simply put, it wants to prove that the US District Court Judge’s ruling was incorrect.

Fortunately, for Microsoft, it can still close the deal with Call of Duty publisher Activision this weekend. It’s because the restraining order is expiring on July 14th, 2023. Meanwhile, Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick recently shared his reaction to FTC’s appeal. In an interview with CNBC, as reported by CharlieIntel, he said that the US regulator will only waste the resources and money of the taxpayers.

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“I would be surprised if they waste taxpayer resources on something like that. The opinion was well written. Like I said, she’s a very deliberate judge. I can’t imagine the ninth circuit would grant the stay,” he told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin.

Well Mr. Kotick isn’t the only person who seems to be upset with the FTC. Congressman Kevin Kiley, from California, has also shared similar views. As mentioned by Florian Mueller, Mr. Kiley believes that the regulator is less likely to win despite its appeal. Also, he “wants to know why they’re wasting taxpayer money.” 

As of now, the overall situation seems to be in favor of Microsoft and the Call of Duty publisher. It also means that their hopes of sealing the deal are still alive. It will be interesting to see how the circumstances end up changing going forward.

What are your predictions for the $68.7 billion proposed acquisition? Do you think the Xbox maker will eventually merge with Activision Blizzard? Don’t forget to share your views. Let us know in the comments down below.

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