Learn Xbox chief Phil Spencer’s memo to Microsoft workers concerning the FTC win

At this time a US District Court docket decide issued a call denying the Federal Commerce Fee’s request for a preliminary injunction, which might have quickly blocked our acquisition of Activision Blizzard from closing in america. We’re grateful that, upon a overview of the proof and witness testimony, the Court docket rejected the FTC’s claims that our acquisition would hurt customers. The proof confirmed the deal is sweet for the trade and that the FTC’s claims about console switching, multi-game subscription companies, and the cloud don’t mirror the realities of the gaming market.

After right this moment’s determination, we’re turning our focus to the UK. As you could bear in mind, just a few months in the past, the UK Competitors and Markets Authority beneficial that the deal be prohibited. We disagree with the CMA’s considerations and have challenged its determination on attraction. On the similar time, nevertheless, we’re contemplating how the transaction could be modified to handle the CMA’s considerations in a means that’s acceptable to the CMA. As a way to prioritize work on potential choices, Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that pausing the attraction now can be within the public curiosity, and each we and the CMA have made a joint submission to the Competitors Attraction Tribunal to this impact.

From the start, the Gaming Management Staff and I’ve believed that this acquisition will meaningfully profit gamers and the gaming trade. Since we introduced our intent, our actions have demonstrated our dedication to bringing extra video games to extra folks on extra units. This consists of quite a few signed agreements to make Activision Blizzard’s video games, Xbox first get together video games and Recreation Cross all out there to extra gamers than they’re right this moment. I’m happy with our efforts to develop participant entry and selection all through the method. This deal has already been cleared to maneuver ahead in 38 international locations, and we’ll proceed to work towards well timed decision in different jurisdictions.

Thanks to everybody who has devoted their time and dedication in help of our acquisition. We launched into this cope with a transparent imaginative and prescient for assembly gamers the place they’re, and with right this moment’s determination by the Court docket, we take an essential step ahead in bringing this imaginative and prescient to life.

Phil