Activision Blizzard, the publishing company behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, has had quite the tumultuous couple of years. From reports of workplace harassment being widespread throughout the company and calls for CEO Bobby Kotick to resign, many thought that Activision Blizzard couldn't have another news story revolving around it that could approach the weight of the ongoing lawsuits and employee walkouts. However, Activision Blizzard was soon in the headlines of gaming news once again when Microsoft revealed its intent to purchase the publishing giant.

For many, this was an exciting announcement, as it meant that there could be more games coming exclusively to Xbox Game Pass and that Activision Blizzard could see the revival of some of its older titles. Other gaming fans seemed anxious at the announcement, wondering how many of their favorite franchises would become Xbox exclusives and whether Microsoft was becoming the "Amazon of gaming." Some U.S. Senators have recently joined the side of concern on the matter, expressing their worries in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.

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Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse showed a deep level of concern over the pending Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. Unlike other officials who are concerned that the deal may have involved insider trading, these four Senators believe that Microsoft's acquisition could "exacerbate the flurry of sexual-abuse, harassment and retaliation allegations at Activision stemming from recent federal and state investigations." Sanders, Warren, and others are worried that the deal will sweep away many of the allegations Activision Blizzard is currently dealing with, allowing the publisher to face far less scrutiny over the alleged workplace issues.

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After the Senators' letter of concern was reported on, Activision Blizzard released a statement claiming that Microsoft is supportive of Activision Blizzard's goals and the work being done to improve company culture. Microsoft President Brad Smith recently claimed that the tech titan would ensure the "right people" would be in charge at Activision Blizzard were the deal to go ahead. This hasn't stopped concerns, though. As shown by the Senators' letter, there are still plenty of people worried that once Microsoft does acquire Activision Blizzard, the company may not face sufficient consequences for the issues of its past.

Without the deal officially being approved as of the time of writing, Microsoft is only able to speak on its plans with Activision Blizzard in speculative terms. Mostly, it seems that the Xbox platform owner will be leaving the publisher alone, as shown by a recent statement claiming that the question of unionization will be left to Activision Blizzard. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes the deal will go through, which could mean greater changes to the Call of Duty publisher over time.

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Source: GameSpot