During the court hearing on Thursday, Microsoft confronted the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which prevented the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The court documents released during the hearing also revealed the unveiling dates for Microsoft’s next-generation gaming consoles.
Microsoft announces release dates for the new Xbox and PlayStation 6
The legal battle between Microsoft and the FTC began last December when Microsoft announced that it did not consider the company’s acquisition of the behind-the-scenes developer of Call of Duty, Diablo, and Candy Crush, worth $68.7 billion, to be appropriate. Last week, a federal court in California issued a temporary restraining order requested by the FTC, temporarily blocking the agreement between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission opposes this acquisition, stating that the deal, which will be the largest in the history of the gaming industry, could “significantly reduce competition” in the sector. While the FTC continues to investigate the compliance of the transaction with U.S. antitrust laws, it claims that the acquisition cannot be completed.
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Microsoft, which defends itself in this matter and intends to incorporate Activision Blizzard into its portfolio in the near future, has provided release dates for the new Xbox and PlayStation 6 through its statement. The company emphasized that the commitment to releasing Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms will last for 10 years, stating that this period does not pose a threat to the next-generation gaming consoles, which will be unveiled in 2028.
The company stated that the publishing agreement for Call of Duty games will still be valid when PlayStation 6 is released, thereby asserting that they will not violate antitrust laws in any way. With this statement, release dates have been provided for the new Xbox and PlayStation 6.
With this announcement, it seems that there is still a five-year process ahead for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, which were introduced three years ago. However, considering the current inflation, it would be wise to start saving money for the next-generation gaming consoles in advance.
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