The US Department of Justice’s competition watchdogs are tackling what they consider an unusual topic: video game competitions. The antitrust authorities are taking action against the industry giant Activision Blizzard, alleging that it illegally restricted the income of players in two of its e-sports leagues.
The ministry released a lawsuit and a proposed settlement with concessions from the company, which still awaits court approval.
The Justice Department targeted two esports leagues operated by Activision Blizzard, namely for the games “Overwatch” and “Call of Duty”. Due to the factual restriction of the remuneration per team, competition was impaired.
In the agreement, Activision Blizzard agreed to end the practice. In a statement to the Bloomberg financial service, the group emphasized that, in its view, the income deals suspended in 2021 due to pressure from the competition authorities were legal.