In a bid to overcome opposition to its proposed $69 billion acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI  ), Microsoft Corp (MSFT  ) and the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have jointly sought additional time from London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

Efforts were made on Monday as lawyers representing Microsoft and the CMA presented their case to Judge Marcus Smith, seeking a delay in a scheduled hearing, according to The Washington Post.

This would "allow the CMA and the parties to engage swiftly and constructively in relation to Microsoft's proposals," Reuters reported.

Last week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which strongly opposed the deal, encountered a significant setback when a federal court dismissed its application to temporarily halt the deal.

Shortly after, the CMA announced it would reconsider a revised proposal and stated that a restructured agreement might address its concerns, pending a fresh investigation.

Judge Smith expressed his intention to closely examine the "troubling application" for postponing the appeal, especially since a previous request for delay was rejected.

Moreover, the judge sought guarantees from CMA that its decision to request a delay and provide Microsoft another opportunity was not influenced by the FTC's inability to block the deal.

On Sunday, another positive indicator of the deal gaining traction arose when Microsoft announced a 10-year agreement with Sony Group Corp (SONY  ) to retain the popular Call of Duty video game series on the PlayStation console if the merger is successfully completed.