Microsoft's $7.5 billion ZeniMax Media acquisition gets green signal

The European Commission has given its clearance for Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion deal . Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by Chairman and CEO Robert Altman . The Bethesda deal and bring future games to its Xbox Game Pass subscription. Creators of critically acclaimed and best-selling gaming franchises, including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, among many others, Bethesda brings an impressive portfolio of games, technology, talent, as well as a track record of blockbuster commercial success, to Xbox. As per the source, Microsoft appears to be planning to keep Bethesda running separately, with its existing leadership.

Games are fuelling new cloud-gaming services like Xbox Game Pass, which has reached a new milestone of over 15 million subscribers. will change is that games developed by ZeniMax-owned studios will be available to play through the Xbox Game Pass subscription. Also, Microsoft will nudge Bethesda to ensure its games are “first or better or best” on Xbox.

"Gaming is the most expansive category in the entertainment industry, as people everywhere turn to gaming to connect, socialise and play with their friends," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had said in a statement in September.

"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," he added.

With the addition of Bethesda, Microsoft will grow from 15 to 23 creative studio teams and will be adding Bethesda's franchises to Xbox Game Pass.

The planned acquisition includes publishing offices and development studios spanning the globe with over 2,300 employees, including Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.