Microsoft denies it went back on its word on Activision job cuts
Microsoft has denied claims by US regulators that it went back on its word by cutting jobs after its purchase of Activision Blizzard - the biggest gaming deal in history.
"Consistent with broader trends in the gaming industry, Activision was already planning on eliminating a significant number of jobs while still operating as an independent company," the firm said in a filing with the US court, seen by the BBC.
If the regulator wins its case, it could still approve the merger but it might decide to split Activision Blizzard up into separate entities, or even block it entirely.
Because of this, it said the layoffs would make it harder for it to reverse the merger if it won its legal case which it said "underscored the need" for an injunction now.
According to the regulator, the tech giant said that it would run Activision Blizzard as an independent company. But the job cuts by Microsoft indicate that the gaming company is not being run independently, said the FTC.
