Microsoft Now Officially Owns Bethesda

Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media is finally complete, making them now owned by Microsoft. This means that all of Bethesda Softworks’ eight development studios are now a part of Xbox Game Studios, bringing Microsoft’s first-party studio count to 23 teams.

“This is an exciting day for Xbox,” said Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer in a blog post. “Now that everything is official, we can begin working together to deliver more great games to everyone.”

The big question that many have had is what will happen with Bethesda’s games in regards to exclusivity. Phil gave an answer about it today, saying that “some new titles” will be exclusive to Xbox and PC. Both Microsoft and Bethesda have been vague about the topic prior to today, and though we now have an official answer, it’s still just as vague. This is likely so that they can get Xbox fans excited while not completely upsetting those that aren’t able to game in the Xbox ecosystem right now.

Bethesda’s SVP of PR & Marketing, Pete Hines, also put a out a statement on Bethesda’s website, sharing many of the same sentiments as Spencer. “I’m pleased to continue the great relationships we’ve built together over the past few decades, first as partners and now as colleagues in the same company.”

Both Spencer and Hines make it clear that no big changes or announcements are happening right away. Later this week, Xbox users can look forward to more Bethesda games joining Xbox Game Pass. What those games will be will be announced in the coming days.

Bethesda becoming a part of Xbox Game Studios is a seismic shift for the industry. It’s an unprecedented move that’s sure to cause a ripple effect that we won’t truly feel the effects of for some time. One thing that’s certain is that Microsoft and the Xbox team now has a stellar selection of first-party studios. All they need to do now is take advantage of their potential and create some great games.