In what may be the biggest single piece of gaming news we’ve reported…well possibly ever, Microsoft have entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media; parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
Yes you read that correctly. Bethesda Softworks, all of its studios, and all 2,300+ developers, are now a part of Xbox Game Studios. In a statement via Xbox News Wire, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer had the following to say:
Today is a special day, as we welcome some of the most accomplished studios in the games industry to Xbox. We are thrilled to announce Microsoft has entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks.
As one of the largest, most critically acclaimed, privately held game developers and publishers in the world, Bethesda is an incredibly talented group of 2,300 people worldwide who make up some of the most accomplished creative studios in our industry across Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios. These are the teams responsible for franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Prey, Quake, Starfield and many more…
…All of our work, and the foundation of our relationship with you, starts with a commitment to deliver a breadth of amazing games to discover and play on Xbox. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been excited to share more detail on important elements of a plan we’ve been building towards for years. A plan that is the fulfilment of a promise, to you the Xbox player, to deliver the most performant, immersive and compatible next-generation gaming experiences, and the freedom to play blockbuster games with your friends, anytime, anywhere. Today is a landmark step in our journey together and I’m incredibly energized by what this step means for Xbox.
Our Take
This is rather unbelievable. While it’s been very clear for a few years now that Xbox was very serious about continuing to be a major player in the gaming space for many years to come, this takes it to a whole new level. Bethesda and their franchises are the entire cornerstone of the industry and to imagine all of those studios and IPs being housed within Xbox Game Studios is rather unbelievable. With 8 more studios, that means that the XGS family is now 23 studios deep. Incredible.
