Microsoft announced today that it will acquire ZeniMax Media, owner of Bethesda Softworks studio, responsible for creating and publishing titles like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, Doom, Dishonored, Quake, Starfield and more.
The announcement of the purchase of ZeniMax Media was announced by Phil Spencer in a text published on Xbox Wire today, stating that Microsoft will acquire the company for $7,5 billion. The purchase is expected to close in the second half of 2021, where the following Zenix-owned studios will be acquired:
- Bethesda Softworks
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Id Software
- ZeniMax Online Studios
- Arkane, MachineGames
- Tango Gameworks
- Alpha Dog
- Roundhouse Studios
In a Bethesda blog post, the company's senior vice president of global marketing, Pete Hines, says:
"We're still working on the same games as yesterday, made by the same studios we've worked with for years, and those games will be published by us." The change, explains Hines, is due to "Microsoft's access to resources that will make us better publishers and developers."
It remains to be seen whether Bethesda will be considered a part of Xbox Game Studios or if it will be separated for greater freedom in administration. According to Bloomberg, Jason Schreier and Dina Bass said that Phil Spencer stated that Microsoft will honor the PS5 exclusivity agreed to for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo and that in the future there will be games from the studio that will appear on Xbox, PC and other consoles." case by case".
To answer the question everyone is asking: Phil Spencer tells @dinabass that Xbox plans to honor the PS5 exclusivity commitment for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Future Bethesda games will be on Xbox, PC, and "other consoles on a case by case basis." https://t.co/Agyttr53LO
- Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 21, 2020
Bethesda Executive Producer Says There Will Be Multiple Benefits From This Acquisition
Todd Howard, executive producer of Bethesda Game Studios, talks in his personal blog about the benefits of this acquisition of the studio by Microsoft, starting with the migration of Morrowind to the Microsoft console. According to Tood, the Xbox Series X and S consoles "are optimized for the vast worlds we love to create, with generational leaps not just in graphics, but also in CPU and data streaming. This led to our biggest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies that power our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls VI."
Todd also said on his blog that:
"Like our original partnership, this one is about more than one system or one screen. We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower and bring joy. And a belief that we must bring that to everyone - regardless who you are, where you live or what you play. Regardless of screen size, controller or even your ability to use one."
In the text published on the Xbox website it was also said that:
"Bethesda's iconic franchises will be added to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC"
It was later added that future Bethesda games will be added to Xbox Game Pass at launch.
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