An American judge has temporarily blocked Microsoft’s planned purchase of video gaming company Activision Blizzard. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley made the ruling Tuesday in San Francisco. Her decision came after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requested federal court action to block Microsoft’s $69 billion deal. FTC officials have expressed concern that the purchase, also called an acquisition, would hurt competition in the video gaming market. Both Microsoft and Activision had signaled the deal could be completed as soon as June 16. Corley said her ruling to temporarily halt the deal was “necessary to maintain the status quo” while the FTC’s legal cases are still active. An earlier request by the FTC to block the acquisition will also be considered at a hearing set for June 20. The FTC wants the deal to be blocked until the U.S. government has a chance to have its concerns about competition officially heard.