FTC to review Microsoft’s $68.7B deal to buy Activision Blizzard, report says

The US Federal Trade Commission will undertake an antitrust review of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition scandal-plagued video game giant Activision Blizzard, reported Bloomberg on Monday.

Microsoft last month announced plans to buy Activision Blizzard in an all-cash deal valued at $68.7 billion. The deal, expected to close within the next 18 months, will make Microsoft the world’s third-largest video game-maker and give it control of popular franchises including war simulation series Call of Duty and the fantasy behemoth World of Warcraft.

The FTC will reportedly oversee the review instead of the Justice Department, which also has authority over antitrust enforcement. The FTC review will look at whether combing Microsoft, which makes Xbox consoles, and Activision could harm competition by limiting rival’s access to major games, according to Bloomberg. 

The FTC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

More to come.