Pending the closure of a $7.5 billion cash sale, Microsoft has purchased Zenimax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.
According to a press release posted by Bethesda this morning, the sale is expected to be finalized by the second half of fiscal year 2021, giving Microsoft ownership of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Dishonored, Prey, and whatever else Zenimax’s studios might be cooking up.
Bethesda is currently publishing a pair of timed exclusive for Sony’s PlayStation 5, Arkane Studios’ Deathloop and Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo. No word if the impending acquisition will change the exclusivity of those titles.
In a blog post on Xbox Wire, Xbox boss Phil Spencer welcomes the Zenimax Media family to Microsoft. On the Bethesda blog, senior VP of communications Pete Hines explains why Microsoft is a good fit for Zenimax Media ($7.5 billion helps I’m sure).
Responding to the news via Twitter, id Software founder John Carmack called the sale “great.”