Microsoft Corp's planned $68.7 cardinal acquisition of "Call of Duty" shaper Activision Blizzard Inc. hit different hurdle Tuesday, erstwhile a radical of gamers challenged the woody successful court, claiming that the acquisition volition unlawfully squelch contention successful the video crippled industry.

The federal antitrust lawsuit, filed successful San Francisco, comes little than 2 weeks aft the Federal Trade Commission sued to artifact the merger betwixt Activision Blizzard, 1 of the world’s apical video crippled publishers, and Microsoft, the shaper of the Xbox console.

Microsoft logo is seen connected a smartphone placed connected displayed Activision Blizzard logo successful this illustration taken January 18, 2022. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration / Reuters)

The backstage suit was filed connected behalf of 10 video crippled players successful California, New Mexico and New Jersey.

Similar to the FTC case, the gamers are seeking a tribunal bid prohibiting the companies from consummating the merger, nullify the break-up interest and wage their ineligible costs.

The gamers' suit alleges that the merger would interruption the Clayton Antitrust Act by reducing contention successful the gaming assemblage and by hold harming the public.

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Their ailment cites concerns that the national would springiness Microsoft powerfulness implicit aggregate levels of the gaming manufacture "to foreclose rivals, bounds output, trim user choice, rise prices, and further inhibit competition."

Activision games "Call of Duty" are pictured successful a store successful the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 18, 2022. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

"Microsoft has already shown that it tin and volition withhold contented from its gaming rivals," Holly Vedova, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition wrote successful a property release. "Today we question to halt Microsoft from gaining power implicit a starring autarkic crippled workplace and utilizing it to harm contention successful aggregate dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets."

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A Microsoft typical connected Tuesday defended the deal, saying successful a connection that it "will grow contention and make much opportunities for gamers and crippled developers." 

Following the FTC lawsuit, Microsoft President Brad Smith said, "We person implicit assurance successful our lawsuit and invited the accidental to contiguous our lawsuit successful court."

A Call of Duty quality hangs connected the partition successful a stairwell connected Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, astatine Activision Blizzard, Infinity Ward Division, successful Woodland Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner / AP Images)

In a statement, plaintiffs' lawyer Joseph Saveri successful San Francisco said, "As the video crippled manufacture continues to turn and evolve, it's captious that we support the marketplace from monopolistic mergers that volition harm consumers successful the agelong run."

Private plaintiffs can prosecute antitrust claims successful U.S. court, adjacent portion a related U.S. bureau lawsuit is pending. 

The takeover, announced successful January, besides faces antitrust scrutiny successful the European Union.

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Reuters contributed to this report.