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Microsoft has gained eight game development studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, this week upon officially acquiring ZeniMax Media. That means Xbox Game Pass subscribers can expect more popular AAA titles to be added into its free games library in the coming weeks and months.
Xbox Game Pass will likely benefit from Microsoft’s ZeniMax Media acquisition
Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, has been completed. While the companies have yet to confirm which upcoming titles are going to be Xbox-exclusive, what fans can expect are more popular titles from Bethesda to be added to the Xbox Game Pass library.
We've always been fans, but now we're family.
— Xbox (@Xbox) March 9, 2021
Welcome to Team Xbox, @bethesda ????: https://t.co/wzgWm20Ndp pic.twitter.com/4f6MprUeXn
Bethesda and Microsoft have welcomed this development by confirming that Xbox Game Pass subscribers will benefit the most out of this acquisition. This was the clear message in the statement released by Pete Hines, Bethesda Softworks SVP of public relations and marketing, in acknowledging the completion of the acquisition. Hines referred to video game subscription service as Xbox’s “important initiative” and promised, “We’ll be working on putting even more of our games into Game Pass than ever before.”
In his own statement, Xbox head Phil Spencer has also directed fans’ attention to Xbox Game Pass when celebrating the acquisition’s completion. With Bethesda in Microsoft’s corner, Spencer called Game Pass “the best place to experience new Bethesda games.” However, he did not specify which existing and upcoming Bethesda games that will be.
What does this mean for ‘The Elder Scrolls 6’ and ‘Starfield’
When the high-profile acquisition was announced last year, fans were immediately interested in knowing whether Bethesda’s most popular IPs, such as “The Elder Scrolls,” are going to be exclusive on Xbox. Both Xbox and Bethesda have not committed anything on this matter yet, but it is one possibility that fans cannot rule out yet.
Even after the acquisition was completed, Xbox and Bethesda have not made any significant announcements yet, especially about the availability of “The Elder Scrolls 6” and Bethesda’s newest IP, “Starfield.” But it is worth noting that Spencer has said that “some new titles in the future” from the developer will only be playable on Xbox consoles and PC.
Some gamers, especially those loyal to the PlayStation system, might still be finding it quite unbelievable for the future “The Elder Scrolls” to be off-limits on Sony’s consoles. But one thing that is more likely happening is for these AAA games to be included in the Xbox Game Pass catalog on day one.
Featured photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
