The legal fallout of Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally over

A $250 million settlement resolved a looming lawsuit over the controversial and tumultuous acquisition Nearly four-and-a-half years after the acquisition was first announced, Microsoft has finally settled the last remaining legal challenge to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Game File reported on May 22 that Microsoft had reached a $250 million settlement with AP7, a Swedish pension fund also known as Sjunde AP-Fonden, which had filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft in 2022. If AP7 had won its lawsuit, Microsoft would've had to pay an additional 30 cents per share to those who owned Activision stock between Jan. 2022 and Oct. 2023. Ultimately, AP7 settled, although it stated in official documentation that "Microsoft is entering into this Stipulation solely to avoid the burden, expense, and distraction of continued litigation." This settlement marks the end of a very tumultuous period for Xbox that began when the acquisition was announced in 2022. Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard immediately came under worldwide legal scrutiny, and Microsoft has already battled the FTC in court over the merger. Several concessions, primarily related to the availability of Ac