The United States Federal Trade Commission has submitted a new court filing about the recent price hikes and major changes to Xbox Game Pass, wherein it slams Microsoft for "degrading" the subscription service. The American consumer protection watchdog has been engaged in a legal back-and-forth with Microsoft since its proceedings to acquire Activision Blizzard King, and the FTC seemingly remains intent on reversing the merger.
While Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King was approved without much friction in regions like Australia, the Middle East, and Europe, the trillion-dollar corporation faced fierce recoil in its home country. The FTC filed an injunction to block the Activision Blizzard acquisition back in June 2023, but the federal court trial swayed in Microsoft's favor and the merger eventually went through in the following months. Even though the FTC was unsuccessful in its efforts, the antitrust custodian has been quite vocal about Microsoft's decisions regarding Activision Blizzard's integration into the business.
Microsoft responds to the FTC's argument for reversing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard over the mass layoffs at its new subsidiary.
The recent price hikes and changes to Xbox Game Pass gave the FTC another opportunity to express its...