Microsoft Asks To Pause Gamers' Lawsuit Over ActiBlizz Acquisition, Judge Says 'No'

Back in December, it was revealed that a group of 10 "gamers" were filing a private consumer antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft's attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard, and Microsoft has recently been trying to pause that suit.

The reason? Microsoft's lawyers have suggested that the company's (and Activision Blizzard's) ongoing issues with the FTC could result in this private case causing "needless and duplicative litigation and the risk of inconsistent rulings".

Unfortunately for Microsoft, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of San Francisco denied this request last week, stating that she will hear a bid from the gamers for a preliminary injunction on March 23rd, 2023.

Here's what a Microsoft spokesperson had to say following the ruling (thanks Reuters):

"We remain confident in our case and path forward and are committed to closing the deal."

The lawsuit from these Plaintiffs argues that the games industry could suffer "extensive and broad" damage due to the "merging of two giants", warning that if it goes through, "Microsoft may have far-outsized market power".

We'll keep you up to date as we hear more about this lawsuit over the next couple of months.

What do you make of this? Let us know down in the comments section below.

[source reuters.com]