Microsoft buys games developer Bethesda Softworks for USD 7.5 billion

News Broadband Global 21 SEP 2020
Microsoft buys games developer Bethesda Softworks for USD 7.5 billion

Microsoft has announced a deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, parent company of games developer Bethesda Softworks, for USD 7.5 billion in cash to help drive growth in its Xbox gaming business. 

Bethesda Softworks is the developer behind the popular Fallout and The Elder Scrolls gaming franchises. The acquisition will increase Microsoft's creative studio teams from 15 to 23, with Bethesda's franchises added to the Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming service, which has grown to over 15 million subscribers worldwide. 

The acquisition covers publishing offices and development studios worldwide with more than 2,300 employees. It includes Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, ZeniMax Online Studios, MachineGames, Arkane, id Software, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, with Microsoft expecting completion in the second half of FY 2021. It will have minimal impact on non-GAAP operating income in FYs 2021 and 2022. 

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