Microsoft Has Purchased Bethesda Softworks

In a move that will have an immediate impact in the gaming industry, Microsft announced they have purchased Bethesda Softworks. The deal, worth an estimated $7.5 Billion will put one of gaming’s most popular studios squarely in Microsoft’s control. Even before the systems are released, this certainly feels like a massive “first blood” moment for Microsoft in the next-gen console wars.

If this feels like Bethesda has made a deal with the devil, it’s because they did. That’s not a negative thing though, as both companies actually needed each other in order to succeed. Regardless of where your loyalties lie, one thing that Sony consistently beat Microsoft in, was the category of exclusive titles. Between the overwhelmingly massive successes of Spider-Man, God Of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn, Playstation owners always had the advantage with PlayStation only titles. Now, with Bethesda in their back pocket, Microsoft can start to regain some of the ground they lost. And they’ll be doing it with already established franchises.

Xbox gamers aren’t the only group of people that will benefit from this purchase though. PC gamers will also see tremendous benefits through the likes of Xbox Game Pass. With Game Pass, PC players will not only gain access to an already solid library of PC games, but they’ll also have the ability to play console games as well. In short, the entire Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Dishonored catalog will accessible immediately from the cloud. That’s a huge win.

While Microsoft hasn’t disclosed whether or not these games will be exclusives to Xbox players ONLY, you can bet there will be tons of console specific exclusives. Be that as it may, Microsoft just fired the first big shot for the next-gen console wars.