The filing is a gamble for antitrust enforcers, who have recently suffered a series of blows in the courts to their efforts to restrain the power of large technology companies. Earlier this year, a judge in the same district ruled against the agency when it attempted to block Facebook parent company Meta from acquiring the virtual reality company Within.
Microsoft president Brad Smith said he welcomed “the opportunity to present our case in federal court.” The deal is critical to the company’s ambitions in gaming, and it would give the Xbox maker control of popular titles including “Call of Duty.”
“We believe accelerating the legal process in the U.S. will ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market,” he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
