New York:

Meta and Call of Duty (CoD) game developer Activision have been sued by the families of the victims killed in a US school shooting over alleged promotion of the use of firearms to minors.

In May 2022, an 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21.

According to the lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court in the US, both the companies “knowingly exposed the shooter to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems, and trained him to use it.”

The families of the victims accused Meta and Activision of “grooming” young men and putting them on a path toward violence.

“Ramos played ‘Call of Duty’ obsessively, developed skill as a marksman, and obtained rewards that become available only after a substantial time investment,” alleged the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also claimed that the game features the AR-15 used in the shooting.

Apart from Meta and Activision, the families of the Uvalde victims are also suing Daniel Defense, the company that made the AR-15 used in the shooting.

In a statement given to media, Activision said that “millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The UK competition watchdog has cleared Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to buy ‘Call of Duty’ developer Activision Blizzard. According to the BBC, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Microsoft – the maker of the Xbox gaming console – could go ahead with the takeover after agreeing to buy Activision without cloud gaming rights. Now, this deal marks the culmination of a near-two-year fight to secure the biggest deal in gaming history.

Microsoft announced the biggest gaming deal in early 2022, but the $69 billion acquisition was blocked in April by Britain’s competition regulator, the BBC reported. The CMA was concerned that the US computing giant would gain too much control of the new cloud gaming market. However, changes in the deal have since been made. 

Last month the UK watchdog said a revised deal that included selling cloud gaming rights outside Europe to Activision Blizzard’s French rival Ubisoft had addressed its concern, indicating the tie-up would be approved. 

Also Read | Bruce Willis Is Not “Totally Verbal” Amid Dementia Battle, Says Friend

Now, the new deal, according to The Independent, will stop Microsoft from having a “stronghold” over the UK cloud gaming market, the CMA said. It added that it would preserve competitive prices for gamers and make sure consumers get more choices. 

However, the CMA also criticised Microsoft for “dragging out” proceedings during its investigation into the merger. CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell, said, “Businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA.”

“Microsoft had the chance to restructure during our initial investigation but instead continued to insist on a package of measures that we told them simply wouldn’t work. Dragging out proceedings in this way only wastes time and money,” Ms Cardell added. 

The president of Microsoft, Brad Smith said that the group is “grateful” for the decision to approve the acquisition which he believes will “benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide”.