‘The Elder Scrolls 6,’ 'Fallout' Developer's Mother Company Acquired By Microsoft

In a very surprising turn of events, Xbox confirmed that it acquired the critically acclaimed creators of "The Elder Scrolls 6," "DOOM," "Dishonored," "Fallout" and more.

A few hours ago, Xbox welcomed to its family ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. Microsoft entered into an agreement with the most accomplished gaming studio in the industry, according to the announcement. While Microsoft did not reveal a lot of details about its latest acquisition, gaming industry insider Jason Schreier claimed that the Redmond-based tech giant paid around $7.5 billion for ZeniMax.

This acquisition is massive not only in financial terms but also in what it means for the industry. It could have ramifications on PlayStation. In the official press release, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer said that these developers are now part of Team Xbox. While there are specific details provided for this, it could mean much-awaited titles like "The Elder Scrolls 6" and "Starfield" could exclusively launch on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

The news arrives as Microsoft is preparing to launch its two new gaming consoles. As mentioned above, these companies have not said anything about how this acquisition could affect the launch of future Bethesda games across various gaming platforms like the earlier announced "Deathloop," which was one of the times PS5 and PC exclusive titles.

The recent acquisition increases the number of in-house Xbox game development studios from 15 to now 23. It also vested Microsoft's control of major and popular titles in the industry. The Redmont-based tech giant plans to run Bethesda as its own division with structure and leadership intact.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement that "As a proven game developer and publisher, Bethesda has seen success across every category of games, and together, we will further our ambition to empower the more than three billion gamers worldwide." Meanwhile, Zenimax CEO ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman shared that "the big winners today are our fans. Our games can only get better."

The recent Zenimax's acquisition comes after the failed bid of Microsoft for a stake in TikTok.