I don't mean to sound like a corporate simp, but TBH this was one merger I was half-rooting for, since Microsoft have been overall more pro-consumer than Activision-Blizzard over the past few years. I was kind of hoping they would clean house and restructure Blizzard in particular.
I think the misconception here is that Microsoft would STAY pro-consumer after acquiring everything under the sun. Companies are forced to be pro-consumer when there is actual competition, and the opposite is almost always true without regulation.
Extinguish what? It's not like ActiBlizz aren't already employing the most anti-consumer tactics out there. The only part of Activision that was good was Toys for Bob, and they effectively killed it.