Gamers are suing Microsoft in hopes of stopping its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Activision Blizzard merging with Microsoft has been a controversial business decision in the gaming community. Now, some gamers have decided to file a lawsuit against Microsoft in hopes of stopping the merger altogether.
At the start of 2022, Microsoft announced that it was acquiring Activision Blizzard for $70 billion amidst a gender discrimination lawsuit the game publisher was facing. But with Activision having Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft's studios, many worried about the future of these games' availability on PlayStation. There have been many legal issues and roadblocks for this reason, and now gamers are looking to add another wrench in the plan.
Why are gamers suing Microsoft?
Ten gamers from around the United States have filed a private consumer lawsuit that claims the acquisition would give Microsoft too much power in the video game industry. They wrote that it could create a monopoly, limiting competition. The lawsuit was filed on December 20 by self-proclaimed gamers that all enjoy various Activision Blizzard titles and worry that consumer choice will be limited and video game prices will be raised.
A Microsoft representative reached out to Reuters to respond with this latest lawsuit. The representative stated that the merger would actually have the opposite impact on the gaming industry, stating that it "will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers."
The gaming community has been very openly divided about the merger all year. Many are in support of the acquisition, especially after learning of the stipulations that would allow the games to still be available on PlayStation. But many others are not too sure about the future of the industry after some of these agreements expire.
For now, Microsoft is confident that the merger will not only happen, but be a success.