Last fall, Microsoft announced their plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 Billion. Today Microsoft has announced that the acquisition has become official. Bethesda released a video to commemorate their history (above).
Bethesda Softworks includes Bethesda Game Studios, which is best known for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series of big budget, first-person RPGs. It also includes Id Software (DOOM), ZeniMax Online Studios (The Elder Scrolls Online), Arkane Studios (Dishonored), MachineGames (Wolfenstein), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within), Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.
“Our goal is to give these teams the best foundation for doing their greatest work and to learn from them as we continue to build Xbox into an inclusive platform for all players,” writes Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox. “With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players.”
The heads of Xbox and Bethesda have confirmed that it’s going to be business as usual for Bethesda, though future exclusives (or timed exclusives) are certainly a possibility.
“First, let me say that we’re not making any landmark announcements or changes right now,” writes Pete Hines, Senior VP of Marketing, Bethesda. “As we’ve all shared, the expectation is that Bethesda Softworks and our studios will continue as we have in the past, just with more support and resources than we’ve ever had before. Obviously, Game Pass has been an important initiative for Xbox, and we’ll be working on putting even more of our games into Game Pass than ever before. Beyond that? Stay tuned, we’re just getting started together.”
The move is part of Microsoft’s focus on its subscription gaming service, Xbox Game Pass, and desire for more exclusive games. Bethesda has previously announced The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, and a yet untitled Indiana Jones game.
