Gamer Group Re-Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Microsoft With More ‘Factual Detail’

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Last year, a group of gamers filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in hopes of blocking its impending $69 billion merger with Activision Blizzard over antitrust and monopoly concerns. US District Judge Jacqueline Corley, the judge presiding over the case, dismissed the lawsuit last month due to insufficient details on exactly how the merger will be detrimental to competition in the video game market.

Judge Corley, however, gave the plaintiffs 20 days to re-file the lawsuit with more data to support their argument. The 20-day grace period has now lapsed, but not before the gamer group could re-file the lawsuit with “additional factual detail” including sales figures, internal memos, and other pertinent documents.

The re-filed lawsuit revolves once again on Call of Duty and how the merger will give Microsoft absolute control over who gets access to the popular shooter franchise. This time around, the plaintiffs have beefed up their complaint with projected sales revenues, redacted documents, deposition testimony, and other data that supports the importance of giving everyone equal access to high-quality games.

As expected, Microsoft tried to poke holes in the lawsuit, saying that it was filled with “unsupported and implausible claims about the deal’s effect on competition. The company also stood by its earlier statement that their acquisition of Activision Blizzard offers them a way to bring more games to a wider range of audiences.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority recently walked back on its earlier findings that the merger could negatively impact the video game market and has given the deal its blessing. More on that here.