US Regulator , Takes Aim At Microsoft's , Takeover of Activision.
Regulators in the United States have reportedly asked a judge to block Microsoft's proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
BBC reports that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the deal could "substantially lessen competition" in the gaming sector.
The acquisition, if allowed to move forward, would be the largest in the video game industry's history.
The news comes after the United Kingdom voted to block the deal, citing concerns that it would hurt competition.
BBC reports that the U.S. trial is set to begin in August.
According to an FTC court filing, a , "preliminary injunction is necessary to... prevent interim harm." .
The regulator also said that the trial will determine whether , "the proposed acquisition violates US antitrust law.".
Microsoft's push to takeover Activision has been under intense regulator scrutiny, with only the European Union approving the deal.
BBC reports that the European Commission said they approved the deal due to Microsoft's promise to offer a 10-year free licensing deal.
.
The deal reportedly promises that European consumers and cloud gaming services will have access to Activision's PC and console games.
.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said they blocked the deal over concerns that the massive acquisition would impact innovation and lead to less choice for gamers
