Last year, Microsoft announced its intention toacquire ZeniMax Media, in turn getting its hands on some major video game studios and IP. This includes Bethesda Game Studios and the games it publishes, like theDoom,Fallout,The Elder Scrolls, andWolfensteinfranchises. Some fans have been wondering if Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda meant that games from the company would be Xbox exclusive, and now that issue has been addressed.
In its announcement about theBethesdaacquisition, Microsoft stressed that Bethesda games will be best experienced on PC and Xbox consoles, with all of them coming to Game Pass. Microsoft added that “some” of Bethesda’s new games will be exclusive to PC and Xbox, meaning those on PlayStation will be missing out. Microsoft did not specify which upcoming Bethesda games will be Xbox console exclusives, but details on those games should come to light at a later date.
RELATED:Xbox Director Says Some 2021 Games Haven’t Been Announced Yet
Bethesda games being exclusive to Xbox has always been one of the big concerns gamers have had about the acquisition, but it makes sense on Microsoft’s end. Before fans get too upset, though, it’s been teased in the past thatThe Elder Scrolls 6will come to PlayStation still, though it’s unclear if those plans have changed or if the Xbox version of the game will be available first.
Microsoft is honoring existingexclusivity deals that Bethesda has made with PlayStation, though one has to imagine that those games will be making the jump to Xbox at some point in the future. This year alone will seeDeathlooplaunch as a PlayStation console exclusive, followed by Tango Gameworks’Ghostwire: Tokyo. PlayStation fans will get first-dibs on those Bethesda-published games, but it seems anything after that will be favoring the Xbox brand.
While Microsoft may or may not still bring major games likeThe Elder Scrolls 6to PlayStation, one would think that the smarter move strategically would be to keep blockbuster games like that Xbox exclusives. With it having beenover a decade sinceSkyrimwas released, there is an intense amount of anticipation forThe Elder Scrolls 6, and a game like that would almost certainly be a system-seller.
On the other hand, Microsoft has shown a willingness to play nice with its competitors by releasing some of its IP on their platforms. Perhaps the most notable example of this is theMicrosoft-ownedMinecraftstill having a significant presence on PlayStation, Nintendo, and elsewhere even after Microsoft acquired the rights to the IP and developer Mojang. Whether or not it does the same with Bethesda’s biggest games remains to be seen, but fans should expect at least some of Bethesda’s future titles to be Xbox console exclusives.
