The decision by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco means Microsoft can seek to close its merger with Activision — the Santa Monica-based game company behind “Call of Duty” — ahead of a July 18 deadline everywhere except for Britain, which vetoed the deal in May.

Microsoft has said it struck the deal to acquire Activision in order to add mobile games — an area where it has virtually no presence. Activision owns King, the maker of Candy Crush. The combination will vault Microsoft to the No. 3 slot among global video game companies behind China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd., the publisher of “League of Legends,” and game console rival Sony Corp., Microsoft had said.

“Our merger will benefit consumers and workers,” Activision Blizzard Chief Executive Bobby Kotick said in a statement. “It will enable competition rather than allow entrenched market leaders to continue to dominate our rapidly growing industry.”