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Neverway continues to make a compelling case for horror farming-sims in a new showcase from its devs
Game Updates

Neverway continues to make a compelling case for horror farming-sims in a new showcase from its devs

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I don’t think you can more easily sell me on a game than by saying it was made by one of the artists behind Celeste, and has music from Disasterpeace, i.e. the composer behind Fez, Hyper Light Drifter, and It Follows. But that’s exactly what Neverway is, a horror RPG in the vein of Stardew Valley first announced back in April, back with a nice little look-in at yesterday’s Day of the Devs presentation.


Pedro Medeiros, the Celeste artist in question, and programmer/ writer Isadora Sophia gave a great little rundown of Neverway, explaining that you play as Fiona, a character who much like the player character in Stardew has just quit her dead end job. She’s trying to start over on a farm, live the quiet life, except she ends up having to serve as a herald for a dead god because of some debt she owes. Awkward!

Watch on YouTube


That kind of life does end up leading towards the need to fight in a classic Zelda-ish 2D action combat kind of way, but you do have to balance all of that adventuring with your regular life too. That means farming, paying your mortgage, making friends, maybe even falling in love. Those bonds can lead to new combat abilities too, something I wish my own relationships offered me.


Time works a bit differently in Neverway too, as rather than the day slowly tick tocking away, it moves from morning, to afternoon, to night when you do things like eat, sleep, or read a manual of some sort.


After a while, you’ll end up searching for the titular Neverway, a “decaying nightmarish reality that is slowly leaking into yours.” This is where you’ll learn about the game’s post-apocalyptic world as you pay off your debt.


I know “farming sim but dark” isn’t exactly a new concept, it’s just that Neverway is doing so with such eyecatching style I can’t help but be won over by it. It looks like there’s a real sincerity to the life-sim elements as opposed to them just being slapped into some dark themes. That’s the ticket to my heart honestly, a good bit of earnestness goes a long way.


Neverway doesn’t have a release date just yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam.



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US court denies emergency motion issued by Apple in legal case against Epic Games
Esports

US court denies emergency motion issued by Apple in legal case against Epic Games

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A US court had denied Apple’s emergency motion to pause an injunction that prohibits the company from collecting fees on purchases made on alternative app stores.

Apple is currently in the process of appealing a court order issued last month, as part of its longstanding legal battle with Epic Games over “anticompetitive” commissions and not allowing developers to use alternative payment options.

As reported by CNBC, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Apple “bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an excuse of [its] discretion.”

It found that “after reviewing the relevant factors, [it] was not persuaded that a stay is appropriate.”

In response to the decision, Apple said it would continue to fight its case during the appeals process.

“As we’ve said before, we strongly disagree with the district court’s opinion,” a spokesperson said. “Our goal is to ensure the App Store remains an incredible opportunity for developers and a safe and trusted experience for our users.”

On June 2, the European Commission ordered Apple to comply with its Digital Markets Act (DMA), giving the company less than 30 days to update its App Store and enable developers to provide different methods of payment for apps.



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NFT Gaming

Crypto Advocacy Groups Urge Dismissal of Case Against Bitcoin Mixer Samourai

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In brief

  • Feds last year shut down the Bitcoin mixing service, Samourai Wallet, with the developers arrested.
  • The defendants are now arguing that the case should be dismissed—and have backing from crypto advocacy groups.
  • A judge this week declined to admit amicus curiae briefs from the groups.

Two crypto advocacy groups, whose amicus curiae briefs on behalf of Samourai Wallet were denied this week by a federal judge, told Decrypt that along with other organizations, they urge the dismissal of the case against the Bitcoin mixer charged with operating as an illegal money transmitter. 

The Blockchain Association, Coin Center, the DeFi Education Fund, and the Bitcoin Policy Institute argued in their respective briefs that Samourai Wallet has simply helped people execute financial transactions online without violating U.S. law. 

“Privacy is normal: it’s normal for people to want to be able to make financial transactions on-chain whilst still maintaining privacy—people do that with cash every day in their regular lives,” DeFi Education Fund Chief Legal Officer and Executive Director Amanda Tuminelli told Decrypt. 

Police in April 2024 arrested Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill and then shut down the website; the U.S. Department of Justice alleges that the app was an “unlicensed money transmitting business” used by criminals.

Samourai Wallet was a Bitcoin mixing service—a service allowing people to mask previous crypto transactions—that the feds shut down last year. 

The nonprofits spoke with Decrypt about their briefs and why they feel the case is important for the industry. 

The DeFi Education Fund, along with the Blockchain Association, argued that the money transmitting count was invalid because prosecuting software developers who don’t control user funds is outside the meaning of the statute.



In short: The defendants only wrote software, which other people used to transfer user funds—and never dealt with the money themselves. 

The advocacy groups maintain that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, has determined that entities need “total independent control over the value” to be money transmitters. 

“[The government’s] interpretation of the money-transmitting laws to cover non-custodial software tools generated widespread shock and alarm in the cryptocurrency world, which had long relied on the government’s clear and correct guidance saying the opposite,” the brief by the Blockchain Association and the DeFi Education Fund read.

Coin Center’s executive director Peter Van Valkenburgh also told Decrypt that the defendants operating a coinjoin server “did not rise to the level of control over user funds that justifies treatment as a money transmitter, including under FinCEN’s own 2019 guidance.”

Lawyers for Rodriquez and Lonergan Hill last week submitted paperwork saying that the case should be dismissed, arguing that users of the app always had control over their Bitcoin.

Coin mixing apps have made headlines since U.S. authorities banned Americans from using the Ethereum-based Tornado Cash in 2022, saying that criminals had used that platform to launder dirty money. 

Feds then alleged that the app’s co-founders, Roman Storm and his colleague Roman Semenov, laundered more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds.

1/ Today @BlockchainAssn, along with @fund_defi, are sharing an amicus brief supporting the motion to dismiss Count II in the Samourai Wallet case. The government’s novel legal theory threatens to criminalize software developers who build tools that help people control their own… pic.twitter.com/QFZadJrXv4

— Marisa Tashman Coppel (@MTCoppel) June 6, 2025

Politicians frequently spoke about the case, and America’s biggest crypto exchange, Coinbase, bankrolled a lawsuit arguing that the sanctioning of Tornado Cash was unjust.

The United States Treasury in March said it had delisted Tornado Cash from its list of parties sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and in April, a federal court permanently barred the body from reimposing sanctions on it. 

Edited by James Rubin

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Lilo and Stitch make funny faces
Esports

Labubu is so popular that fans are insuring their plushies in case of theft

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If you’ve scrolled through TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen at least a few videos featuring a rabbit-like critter with shark teeth called ‘Labubu.’

Labubu is actually an “elvish creature” who first appeared in a series of children’s books called ‘The Monsters,’ published in 2015 by Dutch-born Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung.

While Labubu is just one of many monsters who appear in the books, her toothy grin and bunny ears have charmed audiences worldwide, becoming the new ‘Hello Kitty’ of mascot characters.

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Ten years later, Chinese figure retailer Pop Mart has cornered the market on Labubu merchandise, selling different versions of the critter as plushies, keychains and dolls in locations around the world.

Unsplash.com: David KristiantoLabubu is part of a larger cast of characters from a 2015 children’s book series called ‘The Monsters.’

They first started selling Labubu vinyl figures in “blind boxes” in 2019 — and since then, she’s become a worldwide sensation, taking over social media and creating massive lines of fans at Pop Mart stores everywhere.

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However, Labubu figures have become so insanely popular that some customers are literally taking out insurance on the dolls for fear that they might get stolen to be resold online.

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Labubu fans insure their figures as theft rises

Travel insurance provider Passportcard cites that one in three Millennials or Gen Zers have thought about insuring their Labubu merch when traveling abroad.

More specifically, one in four Australian travelers have thought the same, with an average of 20% of total travelers fearing the figures will be a specific target for pickpocketers abroad.

“It might seem ridiculous to insure a toy, but it speaks volumes about how emotionally invested people are in what they pack,” Peter Klemt, PassportCard’s Australia chief, said in a statement.

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“When you consider some Labubus are now selling for nearly $652 USD on resale sites, it makes sense why they want to protect them.”

In fact, several Labubu fans have come forward with stories of how their plushies were stolen while out and about, such as TikToker Sarah Mariesan, who says her figure got lifted from her bag while shopping at The Grove in Los Angeles, California.

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Two different Labubu fans and international jetsetters admitted to the Daily Telegraph that they’ve taken out insurance packages on their grinning Labubu figures.

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“I’ve been hearing about many people having theirs stolen,” 24-year-old Olivia Bubalao revealed. “I did some research and, once I found an insurance package that included my Labubu in personal items of value, then it was a no-brainer.”

“If I lost one on a trip I’d feel sad, especially nowadays with how hard they were to get and how long ago I bought them – they’re a part of me at this point,” Rachael Clayton said, who took out a $98 policy on her Labubu collection.

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You don’t have to be traveling abroad to have your Labubus lifted; one TikToker says a thief broke into their car and stole a series of plushes sitting on their dashboard.

While Labubu might look a bit mischievous, Pop Mart describes her as “kind-hearted and always wants to help, but often accidentally achieves the opposite.”

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Her appealing design has sparked a mania for merchandise, even catching the eye of major celebrities like K-Pop diva Lisa from BLACKPINK, Rihanna, and even Dua Lipa.

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Belkin's new line of Switch 2 accessories include a simple but effective charging case
Gaming Gear

Belkin’s new line of Switch 2 accessories include a simple but effective charging case

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Belkin is best known for high-quality smartphone accessories, but just like everyone else, it appears it has a case of Nintendo Switch 2 fever. The company has announced that it will be selling several Switch 2 accessories in time for the console’s launch, including screen protectors and a charging case that comes with a power bank.

The Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2 is the thicker of Belkin’s two case options, primarily because it has a designated spot for an included 10K external battery. The case also includes a flap for storing Switch 2 game cartridges, a hidden pocket for slotting an AirTag so you can track the case if it’s lost and slots on either side of the battery for cables and other accessories. When you need to prop up your Switch 2 with its kickstand while it’s charging, there’s also a groove in the case that’s specifically designed to hold it.

Belkin

If you’re looking for something more compact and portable, the Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2 is only moderately thicker than the console itself. Like the charging case, the travel case includes a built-in sleeve for Switch 2 game cartridges and a spot to hide an AirTag. It also has a built-in handle and a wrist strap so you have multiple ways to carry it when you’re out and about.

For an extra layer of protection, Belkin is also selling two different screen protector options: a Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector and a Tempered Glass Blue Light Screen Protector. Both will shield your Switch 2’s screen from major scratches and can be applied in a few steps. In the case of the blue light screen protector, Belkin is also claiming that it’ll help reduce eye strain if you use your console for an extended period of time. Whichever you pick, just don’t remove the Switch 2’s pre-installed protective film before you apply.

All of Belkin’s new accessories are available to order today from Belkin’s website and Amazon. You can get either the Charging Case or Travel Case in gray, tan or green, and the cases cost $70 or $30, respectively. The Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector costs $25 and the Tempered Glass Blue Light Screen Protector costs $30.

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.



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Cougar Airface Eco Case
Gaming Gear

Cougar Airface Eco Case Review: Simple, stylish design

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Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

German case, cooling, and peripheral maker Cougar was once known for having orange accents on many of its products. And that design element continues with its latest case to land on our test bench, the somewhat oddly named Airface Eco. The top ports are orange, and you could, of course, choose that color for the four included fans, as Cougar has done in many of the marketing images for this case. The Eco also sports a number of features that set it apart in other ways, like four-slot GPUs in vertical orientation, a modular IO panel, easily removed dust filters, and a distinctive front face full of large circular holes.

Will Cougar’s Airface Eco make our list of best PC cases? To find out, we’ll take a look at the specifications and features of the case, then we’ll go over the features and wrap up our review with thermal testing.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Product Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Motherboard Support

ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX, CEB, E-ATX

Color

Black or white

Type

Mid-tower

Case Dimensions (D x W x H)

480 x 240 x 509 mm / 18.9 x 9.4 x 20 inches

2.5-inch Drive Support

2x 2.5-inch drives supported

3.5-inch Drive Support

2x 3.5-inch drives supported

PCI-E Expansion Slots

7

Fan Support

Up to 7

Pre-Installed fans

2x 180mm intake fans, 1x 120mm exhaust fan

CPU Cooler Clearance

190mm

GPU Clearance

390mm

Vertical GPU Support

Yes

PSU Length

Up to 200 mm

Radiator Support

360 mm supported on top or front

MSRP

$109.99 US

Other features

Graphics card holder, Modular IO panel

Today’s best Cougar Airface Eco deals

Features of Cougar’s Airface Eco computer case

▶ Coned vent front side


You may like

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

  • Cougar Airface Eco at Amazon for $109.99

The first thing that caught my eye when I set up this case was its front, which incorporates coned vents, behind which are two 180mm ARGB fans. Cougar claims this design helps increase the airflow pressure of the case.

▶ Side view, simple GPU holder bracket

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Looking inside the case, the configuration seems fairly standard, although there are a couple of unique choices to point out.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Built into the cable routing plate is a simple GPU holder. But don’t misunderstand my description of “simple” as a bad thing. This GPU support does the job and is very easy to adjust. I much prefer this design of GPU holder compared to more complicated versions that some competitors offer in their cases.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

There’s also a handy routing hole for GPU power cords in the PSU shroud. Some users may find this cable management style cleaner and better-looking, or at least easier. But if you don’t like that option, you can always route the cable through the traditional routing bracket on the motherboard tray.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Build quality

The build quality appears to be good, with no obvious weaknesses or easily bent parts.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Modular IO panel

The IO panel is located on the front of the top of the case by default, and harkens back to Cougar’s early days with two orange-colored USB-A ports. There’s also a USB-C port, audio jack, ARGB lighting control button, and power button.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Cougar describes the IO panel as “modular.” I’m not sure if I approve of this use of the word modular, as I view “modular” components as those that can be easily swapped and replaced with an alternative.

What Cougar means by“modular” is that the position of the IO panel can be adjusted. You can leave it at the top of the case, a or you can move it down to the bottom side of the case, which should be more convenient if you’re keeping this case on your desk.

(Image credit: Cougar)

▶ Dust filters, bottom view

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The bottom of the case has four rubber feet and a spot where the IO panel can be moved to. There’s an easy-to-remove dust filter on the bottom, which slides out from the back.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

There’s another easily removable filter on the top of the case, but what really stands out is how Cougar designed the front dust filter. Most front dust filters require a bit of case deconstruction, but that’s not the case with the Airface Eco! The filter on the front pulls out from the side using a pull tab, making it easy to to remove and clean.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Rear side view, storage, and cable management features

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The back view isn’t quite as clean as I’d prefer, but does the job well enough. There are three cable ports on the top and a middle routing path with Velcro zip ties to keep things tidy. If you need more than that, six plastic zip ties are also included.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

There is support for up to four storage drives in case. IThere are plates for 2x 2.5” drives (above) and a drive bay that supports two 3.5-inch drives (below) . The latter can be removed to create room for cable storage if desired.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Rear view

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At first glance, you would think that the back of the case is no different from any other. After all, you have a spot for the exhaust fan at the top, seven PCI-e expansion slots in the middle, and the PSU at the bottom – not much different from normal, right?

If you look closely, you’ll see two screws to the right of the PCI-e slots. If you remove those, you’ll find that the PCI slots can be removed and rotated for vertical GPU support. Most cases that support vertical orientation have a lower number of slots, sometimes only three – but none are lost when using the Airface Eco in vertical orientation, ensuring compatibility with the largest of GPUs, no matter which orientation is preferred!

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Rear view

There’s also an ARGB hub, highlighted in blue in the photograph below, which can be used to universally control all ARGB devices in your computer case. It supports a total of six connections.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶ Where’s the PWM hub?

There is one small complaint that I have about this case – there is no PWM hub for the case fans, nor is there an included splitter cable for the case fans. If you don’t have one of those parts available, each fan will need to be connected to your motherboard separately.

Thermal tests, test setup, and testing methodology

Swipe to scroll horizontally

CPU

Intel i9-14900K

CPU Cooler

Ocypus Iota A62 WH dual-tower cooler, configured with a single fan

System fans

Default Pre-installed fans

Motherboard

ASUS Z790-P Prime Wifi

GPU

MSI RTX 4070Ti Super Ventus 3X OC

PSU

ASUS TUF Gaming 850W

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Our thermal tests are presented to give you more information about the product’s performance, but aren’t intended as the sole judgment of the chassis. The style, price, features, and noise levels of a case should also be considered, and we all have different preferences. What I might like in a case, you might not, and that’s OK. My goal with these reviews is to give everyone, no matter their preferences, enough information to decide whether or not a product is right for them.

We’ve also started to add some tests using an AMD platform with a liquid cooler, to better examine how different factors can impact the thermal efficiency of a computer case.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Cougar Airface Eco: Price Comparison



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Supreme Court asked to Reject Coinbase User’s Crypto Case
Crypto Trends

Supreme Court asked to Reject Coinbase User’s Crypto Case

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The US government has urged the Supreme Court not to take up a Coinbase user’s challenge against the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) effort to obtain his crypto transaction records.

In a filing dated May 30, Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that Coinbase user James Harper has no Fourth Amendment right to shield his financial records held by the exchange.

The government claimed that Harper “voluntarily” shared his data with Coinbase, and that the IRS followed proper legal procedures to obtain it through a judicially approved summons.

Harper’s case centers on a 2016 IRS investigation into widespread tax underreporting on cryptocurrency gains. At the time, the IRS discovered a sharp gap between the millions of Coinbase users trading Bitcoin (BTC) and the relatively few taxpayers who reported crypto gains.

In response, the agency obtained a so-called “John Doe” summons compelling Coinbase to turn over records on high-volume customers.

An excerpt of the filing. Source: Supreme Court

Related: Coinbase data breach 2025: What was stolen and what you need to know

Coinbase user sues IRS over crypto records search

Harper, who traded Bitcoin on Coinbase during the relevant years, later sued, claiming that the IRS’s actions amounted to an unconstitutional search of his personal records.

Lower courts disagreed, ruling that Coinbase’s records are business documents — not Harper’s private papers — and that the IRS acted lawfully.

In its brief, the government argued that Supreme Court precedent supports the IRS’s position. Citing past cases such as United States v. Miller, the government emphasized that individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy in financial records held by third parties Coinbase.

The filing also pointed to Coinbase’s own privacy policy, which warned users that information could be shared with law enforcement.

“To the extent petitioner made those arguments below, the court of appeals correctly rejected them as both foreclosed by this Court’s precedent and meritless,” the government said.

The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear the case. A denial would leave in place the First Circuit’s ruling in favor of the IRS.

Related: Retired artist loses $2M in crypto to Coinbase impersonator

Coinbase suffers major data breach

On May 15, Coinbase disclosed a data breach in which attackers bribed customer support staff in India to access sensitive user information.

Stolen data included customer names, account balances, and transaction histories. Coinbase confirmed the breach impacted roughly 1% of its monthly transacting users. Among those affected was venture capitalist Roelof Botha, managing partner at Sequoia Capital.

Coinbase also faced a wave of lawsuits following the revelation. At least six legal complaints were filed on May 15 and 16, with plaintiffs accusing the exchange of failing to implement adequate security measures and mishandling its response to the breach.

Magazine: Coinbase hack shows the law probably won’t protect you: Here’s why



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Oblivion Remastered just got a full Skyrim-style smithing system thanks to a modder, in case you've missed making stuff by getting very good at banging hot things
Game Updates

Oblivion Remastered just got a full Skyrim-style smithing system thanks to a modder, in case you’ve missed making stuff by getting very good at banging hot things

by admin


Right, so. Oblivion Remastered modders continue to find ways to pull off really cool stuff despite not having any official tools. The latest interesting new mod to drop adds a whole Skyrim-style smithing system and skill to the game, and it’s by someone who’d already blown us away with their faction overhauls.

Yep, modder ColdTyrant’s back at it again, clearly not having been content with all of the interesting Oblivion Remastered modding efforts we recently chatted to them about. During that convo, they teased “a secret project” they thought everyone would dig – I’m not sure if this is that, but it’d certainly qualify in my book.

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Their latest work is ‘Skill Line – Smithing’, and as you’d expect from the name, it adds the ability to make gear at a forge to Oblivion as a totally separate thing to the established armourer skill that revolves around bashing your sword with a hammer to stop it breaking.

You’ll find new interactable forges – each made up of a “smithing chest” where you store any materials you want to use for crafting, plus an anvil and leather rack you can then interact with to turn that stored stuff into new gear or the usual processed animal bits you’ll need to forge certain stuff. There’s also an “equipment smelter” you can use to melt down existing unenchanted gear into raw materials for crafting – though in a wonderful lore-based twist, you can’t melt down Imperial Legion armour without a special permit.

The mod adds one of these forging stations to each of Cyrodiil’s major cities – you can find their exact locations by looking through the mod page’s images – as well as the Shivering Isles. In order to find out which materials are required to craft certain weapons and armour, you’ll need to consult a special smithing workbook ColdTyrant’s left a free copy of atop every anvil he’s added.

That said, you’ll also have to make sure your character’s got the smithing skills to craft what they want to, with the mod adding in a book you can use to track how good you’re getting as you craft more and more stuff. “Because it is currently impossible to integrate brand new skills into the User Interface properly,” ColdTyrant explains, “once the mod is initialized the player will be given a book in their Miscellaneous inventory category, which they can use to check not only their current Smithing level, but the percent progress toward their next level.”

As you’d expect, the further towards the level 100 cap this new skill has you get, the more stuff you’ll need to craft to keep increasing your smithing level. Oh, and if you fancy, the Shivering Isles forges will let you make Dark Seducer and Golden Saint gear, because why not?

If you fancy giving the mod a go, as with most of ColdTyrant’s other mods you’ll need to grab Oblivion Remastered’s UE4SS and UE4SS TesSyncMapInjector.

Make sure to check out all the interviews we’ve been doing with Oblivion Remastered modders who’ve been pushing the boundaries and working on interesting stuff, including that aforementioned chat with ColdTyrant.



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Francisco Rodrigues
NFT Gaming

Judge Overturns Convictions in Mango Markets Exploiter’s Crypto Fraud Case

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A U.S. judge has overturned the fraud and market manipulation convictions of Avraham Eisenberg, the crypto trader accused of draining $110 million from the now-defunct decentralized finance protocol Mango Markets.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that prosecutors failed to prove Eisenberg made false representations to the platform.

He also moved to acquit Eisenberg of wire fraud charges. The investor manipulated the price of Mango’s native token MNGO with massive trades by more than 1,000% in 20 minutes before getting the protocol to allow him to borrow and withdraw $110 million in various cryptocurrencies, backed by the inflated collateral.

Eisenberg’s defense argued that the platform, which operated through smart contracts, allowed anyone to transact freely and that he simply exploited a vulnerability. The judge agreed, stating that Mango’s permissionless structure meant that there “was insufficient evidence of falsity” from prosecutors regarding Eisenberg’s representation to Mango Markets.

Eisenberg was arrested in December 2022, and while this case collapsed, he is still currently serving a four-year sentence handed out after he pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material.

“From the beginning, we said this case was fatally flawed,” his attorney Brian Klein of Waymaker LLP said. “We are very pleased for Avi that the judge granted our motion and dismissed the case.”



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FTC drops case against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Esports

FTC drops case against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard

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The US Federal Trade Commission has dropped its complaint against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

On May 22, 2025, the FTC issued an order dismissing its case after it lost its appeal against Microsoft earlier this month.

“The commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation of the case,” it said. “Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that the complaint in this matter be, and hereby is, dismissed.”

In response, Microsoft president Brad Smith described the decision as a “victory for players” on social media.

“Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington D.C.,” Smith wrote. “We are grateful for the FTC for today’s announcement.”

Microsoft finalised its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022 for $68.7 billion. The FTC subsequently attempted to block the merger, believing it would cause a threat to competition in cloud gaming, subscription services, and exclusive first-party titles.

This was denied, and in turn the FTC submitted a preliminary injunction – which was also denied.

On May 8, 2025, the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals threw out the FTC’s challenge against the Microsoft Activision merger.

“The panel held that the district court applied the correct legal standards and did not abuse its discretion, or rely on clearly erroneous findings, in holding that the FTC failed to make a sufficient evidentiary showing to establish the requisite likelihood of success on the merits of its claim,” the court said.



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