US regulators have launched another attempt to block a merger between Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and gaming firm Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ:ATVI).
Following a rejected bid to block the prospective US$69bn (£53bn) deal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has appealed Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley’s decision on Wednesday.
Concerns have related to Activision's Call of Duty franchise and the potential of Microsoft to restrict competitors’ access to the games following the deal.
San Francisco district judge Corley denied the FTC’s emergency ruling to temporarily block the deal on Tuesday, however, claiming regulators were unlikely to win the case against two technology giants.
UK regulators have already blocked the merger in the UK, while EU officials have given their green light for the companies to press ahead with proceedings.
Microsoft responded that it was “disappointed that the FTC is continuing to pursue what has become a demonstrably weak case,” following Wednesday’s appeal.
According to Judge Corley, the FTC failed to show that “the combined firm [would] pull Call of Duty from Sony PlayStation,” or that the merger would lessen competition in the cloud gaming sector.
EU regulators previously said that concerns over competition rules had been addressed. UK Competition and Markets Authority officials hinted toward a backtrack on their block on Tuesday meanwhile.