TOKYO: The Japan Fair Trade Commission said Tuesday it has approved a proposed acquisition by Microsoft Corp. of US videogame maker Activision Blizzard Inc.

The Japanese antitrust watchdog said it has “reached the conclusion that the transaction is unlikely to result in substantially restraining competition in any particular fields of trade.”

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard both have a share of less than 5 percent of the Japanese video game market, the FTC said.

While noting that there are competitive video game companies in Japan, including Nintendo Co. and Sony Group Corp., the FTC said the proposed transaction is unlikely to drive rival firms out of the Japanese video game market.

The FTC “will not issue a cease and desist order, resulting in the completion of its review” of the deal, it said.

Microsoft in January last year said it would acquire Activision Blizzard, known for its popular “Call of Duty” series of shooting games, for 68.7 billion dollars.

The US Federal Trade Commission has sued to block the deal out of antitrust concerns, while antitrust regulators in Britain and the European Union are also reviewing the transaction.

JIJI Press