Microsoft Acquiring ZeniMax Media, Parent of Bethesda, for $7.5 Billion

[Guest_Jim_*]

I have a feeling few if anyone was expecting this bit of news, but Microsoft has reached a deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, for $7.5 billion in cash. This means studios including Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane, and MachineGames are all joining the other studios under Microsoft, bringing the company's total from 15 to 23. For those who might be concerned, the structure and leadership of Bethesda will remain in place.

It will be interesting to see all of the impacts this acquisition will have going forward, but for now we know Microsoft intends to bring the many iconic Bethesda franchises to Xbox Game Pass. This includes future games such as Starfield, which will launch on Xbox Game Pass on the same days as the launch on Xbox or PC. As large as Bethesda, with its many studios and publishing capabilities, Microsoft is still larger and can offer it the developers resources they may not have possessed before.

Though the acquisition will give the various studios access to new resources, Bethesda and Microsoft have had a partnership going back many years. Originally Bethesda was a PC-only developer, but after learning more about the original Xbox, which was still in development at the time, the decision was made to bring the company's next game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to the console. Being a hardcore RPG, there was considerable concern that it might not translate well to the console experience of using a controller and playing on a television, compared to keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The result was Morrowind being one of the best-selling games for the console, and the partnership continued. the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the Xbox 360 was meant as more than just a PC port but a move toward the next generation of game, and Fallout 4 became the first console game with mods. With the upcoming Xbox Series X/S consoles and their many new and advanced technologies, Bethesda is giving their engine the largest overhaul it has received since Oblivion. This will allow the company's first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls VI to be powered by these new technologies.

Source: Microsoft, Xbox, and

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