The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has lost its appeal of a ruling in its case against Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In 2023, the FTC requested a preliminary injunction to prevent the companies from finalizing the deal while its legal challenge to the acquisition from 2022 was in progress.

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Microsoft’s merger with gaming giant Activision Blizzard took a leap forward Wednesday after a Ninth Circuit panel ruled that a federal judge was correct in rejecting the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block the deal after a trial in 2023.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion Wednesday affirming a denial of a preliminary injunction the FTC had sought for Microsoft's now-completed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.