Microsoft says it could abandon Activision deal if judge delays it
The first day of a weeklong hearing that could determine the outcome of Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of video game giant Activision Blizzard opened Thursday with a promise from Microsoft: If a federal judge grants an injunction that would delay the deal’s closing, Microsoft could abandon the deal altogether.
“This is going to decide whether the deal goes forward,” said Beth Wilkinson, Microsoft’s lead lawyer. She added that a loss could force the company into a “three-year administrative nightmare” that would sink the transaction, which it hopes to close by July 18.