Microsoft Bethesda Deal Closer

Microsoft's 7.5 billion dollar acquisition of ZeniMax Media — of course including Bethesda Softworks — has met the approval of the European Union.

As VGC reports, the EU's antitrust regulator has given the green light to the historic merger, which will see Microsoft become the parent company of all Bethesda's development teams and their IP. Part of the regulator's responsibilities is to uphold competition law, and prohibit acquisitions that look to threaten market competition. With the deal now approved by the EU, it's another step towards finally being done.

At the time of writing, we're still none the wiser as to how this Bethesda buyout will affect their games on systems other than Xbox and PC. Of course, games like Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo are still bound for PlayStation — in fact, both are PS5 console exclusives. Presumably, we'll learn more about the status of titles such as Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI nearer the time of their release.

In related news, there have been rumours circulating that Microsoft may hold a Bethesda event of some sort in the coming weeks.