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Bethesda is now owned by Microsoft, here’s why this is important

ZeniMax Media and Bethesda have been acquired by Microsoft in a whopping $7.5 billion deal.

Just moments before we could pre-order the new Xbox Series X, Microsoft has flexed its new gains by acquiring ZeniMax Media. Part of the buyout includes Bethesda, the amazing studio behind classic titles such as Fallout, Dishonored, Doom, The Elder Scrolls, and Wolfenstein.

The endless battle between PlayStation and Xbox just never ceases to impress fans, with both sides attempting to one-up the other. With prior exclusive deals with Sony on the table and new possibilities spawning left and right, here’s your chance to process everything that’s going to happen.

fallout boy

Here’s the biggest benefit for Microsoft’s acquisition: all future releases from Bethesda will potentially be Xbox exclusives. I mean, maybe Nintendo could get a bone tossed to them, but Sony will surely feel the heat from this deal.

It’s worth mentioning that all existing exclusive deals with Sony will be respected, with the upcoming Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo titles being PlayStation only.

This $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda truly bolsters the Xbox lineup, just in time for pre-orders of their next-gen console too. The massive armada of creators from across the world includes Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software and ZeniMax Online Studios – no doubt giving the Xbox Series X/S an edge over the PS5 for many fans.

Microsoft and Bethesda have shared a long-term relationship ever since the ambitious port of The Elder Scrolls franchise onto the original Xbox with Morrowind. It’s  nice seeing that the good feelings are mutual, since everyone’s been singing nothing but praise for their new parent company.

In terms of exclusivity, the upcoming Starfield (brainchild between the developers of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series) was once announced onto the PS5 in addition to Xbox and PC, but perhaps this acquisition will change this deal with PlayStation.

Bethesda Softworks and id Software had also confirmed the port of Doom Eternal onto the Nintendo Switch, which still seems likely as per recent information unveiled during PAX Online. Previous Doom titles and The Elder Scrolls titles have successfully made their way into Nintendo’s library of games before, but there’s just no certainty for these deals in the works anymore.

The real winners here? Game Pass owners, who are (in all likelihood) about to enjoy the Zenimax Media fleet of games as part of their subscription. With PlayStation Now still unavailable in Australia, it’s potentially a nail in the coffin for Sony.