The European Commission gives the green light to the agreement between Microsoft and Zenimax Media. The parents of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls will be part of Xbox Game Studios.
The European Commission unconditionally approves the purchase of Zenimax Media by Microsoft. The agreement, of 7.500 million dollars, has not encountered obstacles in the highest body of the European Union.
“The Commission concludes that the acquisition proposal would not raise competition concerns, given the limited market position of the combined entity and the presence of strong competitors in the distribution of video games. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure, ”they explain in a statement. The resolution was made on March 5, although it was not until the 8th when it was published in the official gazette.
What happens from now on?
The next steps between both entities are to definitively close the agreement. It has not transcended the point where they are internally, so we could be before the last procedure before public confirmation. Once closed, Bethesda Softworks and the rest of its studios will become part of the Xbox Game Studios portfolio. Arkane, Bethesda itself, id Software and more will give muscle to the Redmond productions. The Zenimax conglomerate will be integrated into Microsoft under the Vault seal, a new subsidiary company created for this reason.
As for the grid of ongoing projects, we know that Microsoft will honor the temporary exclusivity agreements on Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo. From there it is an unknown how the Xbox division will manage it. Tim Stuart, general manager of finance and operations of the brand, assured in November the general approach that they want to give to these jobs: “We want that content, in the long term, to be better, the best or choose your differentiating experience, on our platforms ”. That’s where Xbox Game Pass comes into play, where they want to take subscribers “through the Bethesda releases.”
References: The Verge | Tom Warren on Twitter | European Comission
