While many governing bodies around the world approved of the deal, the USA's Federal Trade Commission was one of the few to stand against it — in fact, it's still fighting its corner. Essentially, the FTC has been fighting the acquisition since it was first mooted, arguing that it would be harmful to industry competition.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion Wednesday affirming a denial of a preliminary injunction the FTC had sought for Microsoft's now-completed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The deal went through in 2023 after a court denied the FTC's request for an injunction. An appeals court today upheld that denial.