The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing to continue hearing the case after Microsoft's $68 billion acquisition of Activision is completed. The FTC's internal proceedings will continue after the summer recess. The agency issued a new order today, which reads in part:
The Commission considers that the public interest necessitates a comprehensive and expeditious resolution of this matter... and will therefore re-admit this matter.
As early as July this year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission lost a preliminary injunction hearing and failed to prevent the transaction from proceeding before the trial. This effectively clears the way for Microsoft to reach a remedy with the UK Securities Regulatory Commission (CMA), the only major opponent to the deal. Last week, the CMA provisionally approved the deal as Microsoft agreed to sell Activision's cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft.
It currently appears that the CMA will make a final decision to approve the merger before the October 18 deadline. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will pursue ongoing legal action following the closing of the transaction.
While the agency's challenge was temporarily suspended in August, it retains the right to refile the complaint at a later date, and while such a move is uncommon, today's announcement is a notable exception.