Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Microsoft’s attempt to acquire video game giant Activision Blizzard has drawn the ire of several government bodies and other major corporations, including its largest rival, Sony. As Sony looks to get the deal blocked, both parties have been fighting to defend their stance, which means subpoenaing old documents and revealing private information. As the battle goes on, Sony has called out some of Microsoft’s behavior during the ordeal, describing it as harassment.
Earlier this week, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick accused Sony of trying to sabotage Microsoft’s attempt to acquire the company. Now, Sony has clapped back with a statement of its own, calling out Microsoft. In a new FTX filing, which we spotted thanks to Axios, Sony states "Microsoft’s demand for performance reviews for SIE’s leadership is obvious harassment." The company goes onto explain that "even in employment cases courts require a specific showing of relevance before requiring production of personnel files," and that the FTC suit against Microsoft is not an employment case.
The judge handling the case saw the points that Sony was getting at in its filing. With that, they've ordered that Microsoft’s request for performance reviews of Sony executives be dismissed. Furthermore, Microsoft has been restricted to only requesting documents from January 1, 2019, to January 17, 2023. These documents are also limited, and can only pertain to a small handful of Sony leaders.
It’s been more than a year since Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, and it continues to be met with hard legal resistance to those plans. Another wrinkle was added to the situation today when reports alleged that if the deal doesn’t go through, Bobby Kotick will remain the CEO of Activision Blizzard. For further updates on Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard, stick with Shacknews.