HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation has been met with scores of praise from fans and critics alike since its debut earlier this month. Its most recent episode has been lauded as a particular highlight not just for the series, but for TV in general.

And its success, according to one Activision Blizzard executive, is surely all the proof the FTC needs to give Microsoft’s buyout of the company the all clear. After all, Sony is clearly doing ok.

In a fairly lengthy Twitter thread, Activision Blizzard’s chief communications officer Lulu Cheng Meservey moved to alert the FTC to the most recent episode of The Last of Us, calling the show a “true blockbuster”.

In fact, she went on to say that “Sony’s talent and IP across gaming, TV, movies, and music are formidable and truly impressive”.

In her words, “it’s no wonder they also continue to dominate as the market leader for consoles”.

The Activision exec used all of this evidence to call out the FTC for attempting to block Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard.

“The FTC has opposed the Microsoft - Activision Blizzard deal on the grounds that Microsoft could ‘suppress competition’ from rival consoles by leveraging Activision games.

“It sounds like there’s some worry that Sony’s position as market leader could be jeopardised by this deal.”

Clearly unconvinced by the FTC’s arguments, Meservey closed her thread with these choice words:

“In gaming, Sony is ’the first of us’ - and they will be just fine without the FTC’s protection.”

Ah, I see what you did there!

Meanwhile, earlier this week Microsoft chief communications officer Frank X. Shaw claimed Sony was “briefing people in Brussels claiming Microsoft is unwilling to offer them parity for Call of Duty if we acquire Activision”.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he continued, before restating a number of Microsoft’s familiar arguments.

Not that Xbox boss Phil Spencer seems concerned by it all. In fact, in a recent chat with IGN, Spencer stated he was “more confident now” that the deal will succeed than he “was a year ago, simply based on the information I have and the discussions that we’ve been having”.