Oct 15 (Reuters) - Video gamers who sued over

Microsoft's ( MSFT ) $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker

Activision Blizzard have settled their lawsuit claiming the

blockbuster deal would harm industry competition and drive up

prices.

The gamers said in a joint filing with Microsoft ( MSFT ) in San

Francisco federal court late on Monday that they were dismissing

their lawsuit with prejudice, meaning they cannot refile it.

The court filing did not reveal how the lawsuit was

resolved, and the plaintiffs' attorneys did not immediately

respond to a request for comment.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) in a statement said the two sides settled the case

but declined to provide more details.

The lawsuit alleged Microsoft's ( MSFT ) deal to buy Activision

violated U.S. antitrust law and should be barred. The private

civil case was lodged in late 2022 before the Federal Trade

Commission sued unsuccessfully to stop the deal, the biggest

acquisition in the history of the gaming industry.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) has denied any wrongdoing and defended the

acquisition, which closed in October 2023, as beneficial to

gamers.

Federal antitrust law allows consumers to sue to stop

corporate transactions apart from any government lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley previously

dismissed the gamers' lawsuit but allowed them to refile a

revised version.

The FTC appealed the dismissal of its case to the San

Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard

arguments in December.

The FTC has said it will also challenge the deal in an

administrative case at the agency after the appeals court issues

its decision.

The case is Dante DeMartini et al v. Microsoft ( MSFT ), U.S.

District Court, Northern District of California, No.

3:22-cv-08991-JSC.

For plaintiffs: Joseph Alioto of Alioto Law Firm, and Joseph

Saveri of Joseph Saveri Law Firm

For defendant: Valarie Williams and B. Parker Miller of

Alston & Bird, and Beth Wilkinson and Rakesh Kilaru of Wilkinson

Stekloff

Read more:

'Call of Duty' gamers sue Activision for monopolizing

leagues, tournaments

Microsoft's ( MSFT ) Nadella can be questioned in gamers' Activision

deal lawsuit

US FTC tries again to stop Microsoft's ( MSFT ) already-closed deal

for Activision

U.S. antitrust enforcer says pressing on with fight against

Microsoft ( MSFT )/Activision deal