An Email Between Matt Booty And Tim Stuart Allegedly Includes “Uncontroverted Evidence” Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition Is Meant To Take PlayStation Off The Board

Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard King was first announced all the way back in January of 2022, and by the end of the year, a group of gamers had sued the Xbox company over the attempted purchase.

A few months back however, Microsoft won its dismissal of the case, with the judge saying that the group of players lacked evidence to support their claims.

That group is now back, this time with an “amended” lawsuit that includes an email between Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty and Microsoft’s chief financial officer, Tim Stuart.

It’s the contents of this email that the group alleges is “uncontroverted evidence” that Microsoft’s attempt to buy Activision Blizzard is an attempt to take PlayStation out of the game, eliminate them from the competition, remove them from the board, and whatever other metaphor you’d prefer.

The full quote reads, “uncontroverted evidence that Microsoft had the intention to put its main competition, the Sony PlayStation, out of the market.”

With this lawsuit running parallel to the FTC’s, it definitely looks like an interesting wrench in the proceedings, though it could once again end up being dismissed, and not have an impact on whether or not the deal goes through.

Speaking of the FTC however, it could be the reason that the deal doesn’t go through, not by it being blocked, but more by Microsoft choosing to abandon the deal, because of the FTC’s incredibly slow internal process.

Source – [Axios]