Microsoft Acquires Bethesda Softworks

As players on all major gaming systems are hyping up for next-gen console launch in November 2020, industry giant Microsoft and Sony are frequently buying many game studios to roll out exclusives for new generation of home consoles.

Microsoft has been busy acquiring known studios under Xbox Game Studios publishing division and recently, they announced to have acquired ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks for an enormous $7.5 billion amount.

Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer welcomes creative teams of Bethesda to Xbox family in an official statement. He also recalls how they came to support Xbox Game Pass in early days of launch by bringing their popular games to Microsoft console.

Xbox is likely to make available all existing Bethesda games and future AAA-exclusives to Game Pass lineup for PC and consoles soon. Needless to say, everyone at Microsoft is very excited for upcoming release of space epic adventure Starfield.

Bethesda currently has 2,300 people working globally under creative studios of Alpha Dog, Arkane Studios, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Machine Games, Roundhouse Studios, Tango Gameworks and ZeniMax Online Studios.

These are critically-acclaimed development teams responsible for fan-favorite franchises like Dishonored, DOOM, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Quake, Starfield, Wolfenstein and many more to come in future from publisher Bethesda Softworks.

Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, inXile Entertainment, Mojang Studios, Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games and Undead Labs are studios recently purchased as first-party developers for Microsoft.

Acquiring above-mentioned companies give Xbox Game Studios exclusive rights to publish future installments of Hellblade, Minecraft, Psychonauts, State of Decay, The Outer Worlds, Wasteland and We Happy Few on Xbox Series X/S.

Bethesda senior vice president of global marketing and communications, Pete Hines also wrote how joining Microsoft is a great decision going further as they both have past history of working together in making games for player community.

Players on Sony console are wondering if future Bethesda games will be cross-platform or Xbox-exclusive, Microsoft has no problem bringing their games to other systems and will be deciding case-by-case for third-party platform releases.