FTC appeals judge’s ruling on Microsoft-Activision deal

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it is challenging a judge’s approval of Microsoft’s USD 69 billion Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft vowed to fight back and said the FTC had a weak case. The judge had dismissed the FTC’s claim that the deal would hurt consumers by giving Microsoft exclusive access to popular games like Call of Duty. The FTC could ask the appeals court to halt the deal by Friday. 

Meanwhile, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority said a revised deal could ease its worries, pending a new probe. 

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Microsoft strikes 10-year deal to bring 'Call of Duty' to Nintendo hardware

Source: Activision Blizzard

Microsoft has struck a deal with Nintendo to bring the popular Call of Duty series to Nintendo consoles for the next 10 years. Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer shared the news on Twitter. But the deal is dependent on the US Federal Trade Commission's approval of its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard (the publishers of Call of Duty). Both parties hope to finalize the deal in the middle of 2023. But different government bodies have expressed issues with the merger, citing monopoly concerns.

The company is also willing to strike a similar deal with Sony to ensure future Call of Duty games will come out on the same date on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Microsoft has also confirmed with CNET that it struck a similar 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on Valve's Steam service.

Activision Blizzard gets hit with another sexual harassment lawsuit

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Activision Blizzard has been served yet another lawsuit over harassment in the company. The unnamed plaintiff is still an employee of the game developer. She has sued the company in a Los Angeles court, claiming it allegedly enabled sexual harassment and discrimination. According to the complaint, the company retaliated against her when she shared her experiences at a December 2021 press conference. 

Like what's mentioned in past suits, she accused Activision Blizzard of routinely allowing misconduct. This senior administrative assistant in IT was reportedly pressured to join in "cube crawls," where women were harassed and groped and told to tolerate the unwanted sexual advances and excessive drinking. According to the lawsuit, she was asked to keep her complaints private. She supposedly faced an increasingly hostile workplace the more she spoke out about the issue.

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You can play as Snoop Dogg on 'Call of Duty' next month

Activision Blizzard recently announced a new Operator Bundle coming to Call of Duty: Mobile, Vanguard, and Warzone featuring rapper Snoop Dogg. The world-famous musician will be coming to Call of Duty: Mobile first on April 1, just in time for the game's third season. His character will be available through a special Lucky Draw. You'll get Snoop wearing a flashy gold embroidered outfit and a gold-plated Legendary SMG.

On Vanguard and Warzone, Snoop Dogg's character won't be in that gold suit. Instead, he'll be wearing a sleek coat and gold chain. There will be 10 items (three exclusive to Vanguard) included in the Snoop Dogg Operator Bundle. It comes with its own progression track. This bundle is launching on April 19.

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