Story perspectives

Microsoft Pays $250 M, 30¢ Per Share Settlement

5/24/2026

Summary

Microsoft Settles Lawsuit

Microsoft agreed to pay $250 million to settle AP7’s shareholder lawsuit in Delaware.
The settlement provides shareholders who owned Activision shares between Jan 2022 and Oct 2023 a payment of 30 cents per share.
Microsoft said it settled to avoid litigation costs, and neither party admitted wrongdoing.
AP7 alleged former CEO Bobby Kotick rushed the $95-per-share sale amid harassment claims, while Kotick’s countersuit blamed AP7 for aiding competitor Embracer Group, a claim Embracer denied.

Summary

Kotick Accuses Embracer

Bobby Kotick said the Delaware lawsuit was meant to boost Embracer’s California foothold at Activision’s expense.
In a December filing, Kotick called Embracer a “potential secret collaborator” in the suit.
Embracer denied involvement and said it did not seek assistance from the Swedish pension fund.
Kotick called the employee petition and harassment lawsuits “fake” and said Xbox considered a Call of Duty purchase during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.

Summary

Microsoft Clears Hurdle

Microsoft completed its $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023.
A settlement now removes one of the final major legal challenges tied to the deal.
Regulators had previously mounted significant resistance to the merger, a factor noted in the settlement documents.
Analysts see the resolution as a milestone in Microsoft’s consolidation of its gaming portfolio, now covering Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo and King titles.

History

Historical Context

After the DOJ sued Microsoft in 1998 and reached a settlement in November 2001 that limited its browser bundling, the case was approved by the D.C. Circuit in 2004, establishing a modern antitrust framework. That precedent guides the 2024 $250 million settlement clearing the final hurdle for Microsoft’s $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

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Microsoft Settles Lawsuit

Microsoft agreed to pay $250 million to settle AP7’s shareholder lawsuit in Delaware.
The settlement provides shareholders who owned Activision shares between Jan 2022 and Oct 2023 a payment of 30 cents per share.
Microsoft said it settled to avoid litigation costs, and neither party admitted wrongdoing.
AP7 alleged former CEO Bobby Kotick rushed the $95-per-share sale amid harassment claims, while Kotick’s countersuit blamed AP7 for aiding competitor Embracer Group, a claim Embracer denied.

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