video games

Microsoft to acquire Bethesda, makers of Elder Scrolls, Fallout

Gelo Gonzales

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Microsoft to acquire Bethesda, makers of Elder Scrolls, Fallout

Bethesda

Other critically acclaimed franchises from Bethesda include DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein, and Dishonored

Microsoft on Monday, September 21, announced its upcoming acquisition of Zenimax Media and its game publisher Bethesda Softworks.

Bethesda is best known for its work on the massively successful Elder Scrolls and Fallout video game series, among other titles.

Microsoft will acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in cash.

The bombshell acquisition comes as Microsoft prepares to launch its next-generation Xbox Series X and S consoles opposite Sony’s PlayStation 5.

This may mean that highly anticipated titles such as the next Elder Scrolls installment may not find its way onto the PlayStation 5, giving some gamers pause. However, no official statement on Xbox or Windows exclusivity has been stated for the games.

Other critically acclaimed franchises from Bethesda include DOOMQuakeWolfenstein, and Dishonored.

“With the addition of Bethesda, Microsoft will grow from 15 to 23 creative studio teams and will be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to [games subscription service] Xbox Game Pass. This includes Microsoft’s intent to bring Bethesda’s future games into Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or PC, like ‘Starfield,’ the highly anticipated, new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios,” Microsoft said on its website.

Bethesda Softworks is the headline acquisition, but Microsoft will also acquire other studios under parent company Zenimax, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.

Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by chairman and CEO Robert Altman. Bethesda’s structure and leadership will remain in place, Microsoft said.

“This is a thrilling day for this company, our employees, and our fans. We have enjoyed a close partnership with Microsoft for decades, and this deal is a natural progression of those years working together,” said Altman. “The big winners today are our fans. We are continuing to develop our slate of AAA games, but now with Microsoft’s scale and entire Game Stack, our games can only get better.”

The transaction is currently undergoing customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory review. Microsoft expects the acquisition to close in the second half of their fiscal year, which is the period from January 2021 to June 2021. – Rappler.com

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Gelo Gonzales

Gelo Gonzales is Rappler’s technology editor. He covers consumer electronics, social media, emerging tech, and video games.