Xbox Does Not Actively Plan Bethesda’s Future Until Acquisition Is Complete

Xbox President Phil Spencer is not actively planning the future for Bethesda because Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media is not yet complete. In an interview with Gamereactor, Spencer said he expects the acquisition to be completed early next year. Spencer said, “First of all, I would like to say that we have not purchased ZeniMax. We have announced our intention to buy ZeniMax. The regulation is undergoing approval and there are no problems.”

Spencer said it would be illegal for him to sit with Bethesda Director Todd Howard and ZeniMax Media CEO Robert Altman to make future plans until Microsoft officially purchases ZeniMax. Spencer also stated that in the long run, ZeniMax wants its studios, including Bethesda, Arkane, id Software, MachineGames, and more, to create the best games they have ever made, with support from Microsoft.

In September, Microsoft announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media for $ 7.5 billion. With the acquisition, franchises such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, Doom, Dishonored and Starfield will join Xbox’s first-party portfolio.

Microsoft said Bethesda plans to fulfill its previous deals with Sony to release Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo exclusively for PS5.

We’ve heard that Microsoft will make case-by-case decisions regarding exclusivity for future games from Bethesda and other ZeniMax studios. Again, Spencer says he hasn’t set future plans for Bethesda games until the purchase is complete.