FTC Challenges Microsoft's Gaming Layoffs Amid Antitrust Concerns

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a letter complaining that Microsoft's recent 1,900 layoffs in its gaming workforce contradict its representations in the antitrust trial over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC argues that the layoffs contradict Microsoft's assertion that the two companies would operate independently post-merger and could hinder the agency's ability to obtain effective relief. The layoffs have been ongoing since January and have raised concerns about the impact on the gaming industry following Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.