US Bundesgericht entscheidet für Microsoft - FTC darf den Deal nicht weiter per einstweiliger Vefügung blockieren.

Laut der Richterin gibt es keine Beweise, daß der öffentlich erklärten Verpflichtung von Microsoft widerspricht, Call of Duty auf Playstation und Nintendo Switch verfügbar zu machen:

"There are no internal documents, emails, or chats contradicting Microsoft's stated intent not to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox consoles," Judge Corley's ruling states. "Despite the completion of extensive discovery in the FTC administrative proceeding, including production of nearly 1m documents and 30 depositions, the FTC has not identified a single document which contradicts Microsoft's publicly-stated commitment to make Call of Duty available on PlayStation (and Nintendo Switch)."

Die Auswirkungen des Deals würden Sonys Geschäft beeinträchtigen, jedoch nicht für die Besitzer einer Playstation, insbesondere sogar gut für Spieler von Call of Duty und zukünftiger Titel :

"Sony opposes the merger; its opposition is understandable," Judge Corley's ruling continues. "Before the merger Sony paid Activision for exclusive marketing rights that allowed Sony to market Call of Duty on PlayStation, but restricted Xbox's ability to do the same. After the merger, the combined firm [Microsoft and Activision Blizzard] presumably will not agree to such restrictions.

"Before the merger, a consumer wanting to play a Call of Duty console game had to buy a PlayStation or an Xbox. After the merger, consumers can utilise the cloud to play on the device of choice, including, it is intended, on the Nintendo Switch."

Summing this section of the case up, Judge Corley decided the deal was: "Perhaps bad for Sony. But good for Call of Duty gamers and future gamers."

"This argument is foreclosed by Microsoft's post-FTC complaint agreements with five cloud-streaming providers," Judge Corley's decision reads. "Before the merger, there is no access to Activision's content on cloud-streaming services. After the merger, several of Microsoft's cloud-streaming competitors will - for the first time - have access to this content. The merger will enhance, not lessen, competition in the cloud-streaming market."

Mit dieser Entscheidung kann sich Microsoft nun auf die CMA in Großbritannien konzentrieren und versuchen diese umzustimmen.

Sollte diese weiterhin einen negativen Bescheid erlassen, steht auch immer noch eine schwerwiegende Option - wie der kompletten Rückzug von Blizzard-Activison vom UK Markt - im Raum.