Microsoft heads for battle with FTC over $68.7B Activision Blizzard deal

Microsoft is headed for a battle with the U.S. government over whether regulators will block the tech giant's planned takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft on Thursday filed a formal response to the Federal Trade Commission's claims that the $68.7 billion deal is an illegal acquisition that should be stopped.

After years of avoiding the political backlash that has been directed at big tech peers such as Amazon and Google, the software giant now appears to be on a collision course with U.S. regulators emboldened by President Joe Biden's push to get tough on anti-competitive behavior.