Microsoft Acquires Bethesda Games, ‘Fallout’ & ‘Elder Scrolls’ Franchises in Blockbuster $7.5 Billion Deal
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Xbox parent company Microsoft announced it will acquire ZeniMax Media in a $7.5 billion blockbuster deal, securing the company a group of gaming mega-franchises from Bethesda Softworks, including Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, and Wolfenstein.
In an announcement on Monday, Xbox head Phil Spencer declared, “We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.”
“We will be adding Bethesda’s iconic franchises to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC,” Spencer continued, adding, “One of the things that has 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.”
Popular franchises included in the acquisition include Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, The Evil Within, Prey, and the upcoming Starfield.
IGN noted that the $7.5 billion acquisition is “3 times the $2.5 billion it paid for Mojang and Minecraft in 2014 – and the formal purchase is expected to close in the second half of 2021.”
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard praised the acquisition in his own statement, calling Microsoft the studio’s “longest, and closest partner.
“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 we should bring that to everyone – regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on. Regardless of the screen size, the controller, or your ability to even use one,” he said, adding, “We can’t think of a better group of people to do that with than those at Xbox.”
The acquisition has left PlayStation fans uncertain as to whether they will be able to play future Bethesda games without an Xbox or PC.
Spencer told Bloomberg, “We’ll take other consoles on a case-by-case basis.”
