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Japan’s Watchdog Clears Microsoft’s $68.7 Billion Activision Deal

By  |  March 29, 2023

Microsoft’s proposed $69bn takeover of Activision Blizzard has been approved by Japan’s JFTC.

In a press release on its website, the JFTC “reviewed the transaction and reached the conclusion that the transaction is unlikely to result in substantially restraining competition in any particular fields of trade. Accordingly, the JFTC has notified the Parties that the JFTC will not issue a cease and desist order, resulting in the completion of its review.”

Read more: Chile Approves Microsoft Activision Blizzard Tie-Up

Japan, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia have approved the merger, while it is still undergoing review in other countries.

The US Congress has raised concerns about Sony’s monopoly on Japan’s gaming market. Senator Maria Cantwell recently accused Sony of engaging in anti-competitive behavior and requested that US Trade Representative Katherine Tai investigate the matter.