Microsoft has served Sony Interactive Entertainment with a subpoena arsenic it looks to physique its defence against a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit.

According to a tribunal filing, the Xbox shaper wants Sony to divulge details of PlayStation’s crippled accumulation pipeline.

The information, which Microsoft believes is applicable to its case, whitethorn see confidential details that Sony would beryllium reluctant to stock with its rival if possible.

“Negotiations betwixt SIE and Microsoft arsenic to the scope of SIE’s accumulation and a find docket are ongoing,” the filing reads.

Following a week-long extension, Sony has until January 27 to determination to limit, quash oregon different respond to the subpoena.

In December, the FTC announced plans to writer Microsoft successful a bid to halt its $69 cardinal acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which the regulator argues would alteration the institution to “suppress competitors” to its Xbox console, subscription contented and unreality gaming business.

Among different concerns, the FTC and Sony person expressed worries that the woody could significantly trim PlayStation’s quality to compete, fixed that it would spot Microsoft summation ownership of the Call of Duty series, which Sony has called “irreplaceable”.

In their responses to the FTC’s complaint, Microsoft and Activision person argued that their merger would beryllium procompetitive and payment consumers by making the Call of Duty publisher’s games much broadly available.

In a bid to code regulatory concerns, Microsoft precocious said it had offered Sony a 10-year, legally enforceable contract to marque each caller Call of Duty crippled disposable connected PlayStation the aforesaid time it comes to Xbox.

The FTC said earlier this period that determination had been nary “substantive” colony talks with Microsoft implicit the projected acquisition. If it goes to trial, the lawsuit volition beryllium judged during hearings acceptable to instrumentality spot successful August 2023.