Microsoft acquires Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax Media
Announced a day before Xbox Series X and S pre-orders start, Microsoft have revealed that they have bough Zenimax Media, parent company to multiple studios including Bethesda and Tango Gameworks.
It’s a strong move by Microsoft, giving them access to studios with a number of popular IPs. Through Tango Gameworks, they also have a new Japanese developer, something that Xbox has been needing for a while since the early Xbox 360 days.
Said developer is also working on Ghostwire: Tokyo, which is ironically planned as a timed PS5 exclusive. It’s unknown whether this will still happen, though Microsoft usually take a hands-off approach to deals that took place before they acquired a new studio.
Bethesda’s senior vice president Peter Hines has stated that the company will continue to publish games that they develop, so there’s still a chance for yet another port of Skyrim for the PS5.
Even if you’re not a fan of Zenimax or Bethesda’s IPs, this is still a big moment in the lead-up to next-gen. The real question now is whether Sony has made any surprise purchases of their own. They already have a solid line-up of exclusive titles, but imagine if they outright bought a company like Square Enix.
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