Microsoft has acquired ZeniMax Media for a whopping $7.5 billion. The deal includes the acquisition of all ZeniMax properties such as Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, ID Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, Machine Games, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios according to IGN Africa.
Bethesda Softworks is the famed publisher of Starfield, Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, Fallout, Dishonored, and The Elder Scrolls among others. According to Microsoft, the entire range of Bethesda games will be added to Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, and this expands the game offerings available to Xbox gamers from around the world. Microsoft promised that Bethesda games will now be added to Xbox Game Pass on the exact day they become available on Xbox and PC.
Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, revealed that he had maintained a close relationship with the crew at Bethesda over many years and that he is quite familiar with their games from the outset.
“Over the years I’ve had many deep conversations with the creative leaders at Bethesda on the future of gaming and we’ve long shared similar visions for the opportunities for creators and their games to reach more players in more ways,” he said. “One of the things that have me most excited is seeing the roadmap with Bethesda’s future games, some announced and many unannounced, to Xbox console and PC including Starfield, the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios.”
Senior Vice President of global marketing and communications at Bethesda, Pete Hines, confirmed that Microsoft has acquired his company, but noted that the team at Bethesday will continue to create and publish games just like they had been doing for years without significant changes. He said Bethesday will have more room for growth and expansion as well as innovation with the Microsoft acquisition.
“We’re still Bethesda,” Hines stated. “We’re still working on the same games we were yesterday, made by the same studios we’ve worked with for years, and those games will be published by us.”
Source: polygon.com
