Microsoft Acquired Bethesda

Over the last few years, Microsoft has been engaging in what it might be accurate to call empire building. It has been building up Xbox Game Studios by acquiring companies like Rare and Ninja Theory. Now, it kicked off September 21, 2020 by announcing a deal with Zenimax via Xbox Wire. A Microsoft Bethesda acquisition has been finalized. 

To help people better understand what this means, the news post went over Zenimax’s portfolio and released an image showing the sorts of IPs now fall under its banner. To be specific, Alpha Dog, Arkane, Bethesda (both Game Studios and Softworks), id Software, MachineGames, Roundhouse Studios, Tango Gameworks, and Zenimax Online Studios are all mentioned as being part of the deal. The image also mentioned existing IPs, like Dishonored, DOOM, The Elder Scrolls, The Evil Within, Fallout, and Prey, while also showing the upcoming Starfield.

Microsoft also issued an official press release going over the deal. There are two especially notable parts. One is that this is a $7.5 billion cash deal. The other is that, as a now first-party studio, games from Bethesda will appear on Xbox Game Pass. They will also be day-one releases via the subscription service.

As a reminder, here is a list of some of the other developers Microsoft has covered in the last two years.

• Compulsion Games
• Double Fine Productions
• The Initiative
• inXile Entertainment
• Ninja Theory
• Obsidian Entertainment
• Playground Games
• Undead Labs

We’ll have to wait and see what sorts of games and exclusives will come out of this Microsoft Bethesda deal.