In what might be argued as one of the most startling acquisitions of 2020, Microsoft has officially announced that it will acquire ZeniMax Media – the name behind several studios that have developed hit games. Among them, names include Doom, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dishonored, Prey, and more.
While many were expecting Microsoft’s biggest acquistion to be TikTok, the news has cemented a major part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to position its Game Pass system at the forefront of next-generation gaming.
Naturally, this will mean that as each of the studios housed underneath ZeniMax – such as id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, and Bethesda Game Studios – release new titles, they could (and likely will) feature on Game Pass on day one.
In a press release, Pete Hines, the Senior Vice President of PR & Marketing at Bethesda, offered that “Microsoft is an incredible partner and offers access to resources that will make us a better publisher and developer. We believe that means better games for you to play. Simply put – we believe that change is an important part of getting better. We believe in pushing ourselves to be better. To innovate. To grow.”
Microsoft is set to acquire ZeniMax for a tasty $7.5 billion USD, and in the process has made an acquisition – in the form of Tango Gameworks – which has previously supplied PlayStation-exclusive titles as part of its coup d’état.
The news comes just one day before Microsoft is set to open pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Series S, meaning that fans purchasing their new console won’t have long to wait before they can recieve new gaming content.
What are your thoughts? Would the news swing your decision to purchase a new console in Microsoft’s favour? Or would you still plan to purchase a PlayStation? Let us know in the comments below.
