Bethesda now an Xbox Game Studio after $7.5 billion ZeniMax purchase
posted Sunday Sep 27, 2020 by Scott Ertz
One of the largest and best-known game studios, Bethesda, just became a part of the Xbox Game Studios after the purchase of parent company ZeniMax Media by Microsoft for $7.5 billion. This purchase brings some heavy hitter AAA franchises under the Microsoft umbrella, including Fallout, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein.
All of these titles are currently cross-platform, but now officially owned by one of the platforms. The purchase has clearly brought up the question about the future of game access on PlayStation and Switch now that they are owned by Microsoft, but it is important to note that Microsoft also owns Mojang, the developer of Minecraft and, under Microsoft's ownership, the cross-platform capabilities have expanded, not shrunken. With the current Microsoft philosophy of being wherever customers are, it is likely that we will see this same behavior continue, with some benefits on Microsoft platforms. Phil Spencer has confirmed that the company is open to this continuity, with decisions being made on an individual game basis.
This means that some future games might be Xbox and PC exclusives, while others might have a timed-release on Xbox first, with PlayStation and Switch coming later. One thing is for sure, though - as Microsoft studios, games will be considered first-party titles. That means that Xbox Game Pass will be a big part of these games' existence. Bethesda has confirmed that future titles will be available on Xbox Game Pass on launch day, just like other Microsoft titles. This will be a huge benefit for subscribers, and a selling point for the company.
The first title to join the catalog following the acquisition will be Doom Eternal, coming on October 1, 2020. Subscribers will gain access to this already popular game, and its follow-up Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part One comes to Xbox a few weeks later. And this is just the beginning. Bethesda has confirmed that all of their games will be appearing on the service in the near future.