It is now consolidated news that Microsoft has completed theacquisition of ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks, announcing everything through a post on Xbox Wire. Thanks to this "videogame transfer market", Xbox welcomes eight development studios that any videogame enthusiast knows, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios.
The words of Phil Spencer, head of Xbox (and author of the attached post), exude enthusiasm, and ensure Bethesda and the other developers the maximum support for the realization of their next works.
We had already told you about consequences that the acquisition would have generated, and "Big Phil" partly confirmed what many suspected: some of the future Bethesda games will be Xbox and PC exclusives, with the goal of creating the largest and most ambitious first party study team ever. In all of this, Spencer confirms that the Game Pass it will be the ideal place to play the new Bethesda titles, suggesting that they will all be included in the “Netflix of video games” since their release.
What will Bethesda games be Xbox exclusive?
At present, it is not possible to answer this question. The only certain fact is that Microsoft will respect the agreements that ZeniMax had made prior to its acquisition; this means that Ghostwire: Tokyo e Deathloop will remain exclusive Playstation 5 consoles, but it cannot be excluded that, sooner or later, they will also land on Microsoft platforms.
It is not yet clear what the fate of Starfield e The Elder Scrolls VI, but even in this case it is highly likely that these blockbusters will also remain destined for the Sony console.
Doubts remain, as also said by Phil Spencer, about Bethesda's future titles. Wanting to give an example, Will Fallout 5 be exclusive to Xbox and PC? And what will be the fate of the next Doom? It is not possible to give a certain answer to this question either. If, on the one hand, any fanboy would like to have these franchises in absolute exclusivity, on the other hand, Microsoft has always shown that it does not believe in barriers; in this respect, the presence of Minecraft on all gaming platforms, despite the acquisition of Mojang, is a striking example of what has now been declared.
Xbox will share new perspectives on its development teams later this year but, in the meantime, to better celebrate this special moment this week new Bethesda games will be included within Xbox Game Pass. Stay tuned for more updates on this.