The world of gaming is seeing a major shift here. It’s been reported early on Monday that Microsoft is acquiring the parent company of publisher Bethesda Softworks for $7.5 billion… in cash!
Through this purchase of ZeniMax Media, the makers of the upcoming Xbox Series X will now be the owner of one of the largest private game developers and publishers. The studio is popular gaming franchises like Fallout, Doom and The Elder Scrolls.
EVP of gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, said in a statement of the proposed deal: “Generations of gamers have been captivated by the renowned franchises in the Bethesda portfolio and will continue to be so for years to come as part of Xbox.”
Though, fans of current Bethesda titles should not worry, says their VP of marketing. “We’re still working on the same games we were yesterday, made by the same studios we’ve worked with for years, and those games will be published by us,” wrote Pete Hines in a blog post. The upcoming deal between the pair “allows us to make even better games going forward. Microsoft is an incredible partner and offers access to resources that will make us a better publisher and developer.”
Betheda chairman and CEO Robert Altman added this: “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. 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.”
