HomeWinBuzzer NewsMicrosoft’s Acquisition of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda) Given EU Green Light

Microsoft’s Acquisition of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda) Given EU Green Light

The European Commission says it approves Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMacx, the owner of game giant Bethesda studio.

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Microsoft has been given the green light by the European Union to acquire ZeniMax Media, the company behind games. The authorization comes following similar regulatory back in the United States recently.

Bethesda and other ZeniMax properties will now be under the Microsoft Game Studios umbrella for Xbox and Windows 10.

The European Commission was expected to issue approval last Friday (March 5). It seems the EU has granted that approval. While this phase can be a stumbling block, it rarely is. Instead, it's more of a formality for major acquisitions.

In its decision published Monday morning, the European Commission says the merger “does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market.” The EU “shall decide not to oppose it and shall declare that it is compatible with the common market.”

Microsoft recently received the same approval from regulators in the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Changing the Landscape

Microsoft announced the acquisition last year, the company behind Bethesda Studios, for $7.5 billion. The ZeniMax purchase was the biggest gaming acquisition ever, highlighting Microsoft's commitment to Xbox Game Studios.

With ZeniMax and Bethesda under its wing, Microsoft will further drive into a player-centric gaming market. Replacing the old device-centric market, it is now players who dictate content. As Microsoft pushes further into the cloud, Bethesda will play an important role. That will start with the release of the company's Starfield online title on Xbox Game Pass.

Creating a Netflix for gaming platform is something Microsoft has openly talked about before. That's what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says Project xCloud could become.

Tip of the day:

By default computer names in Windows 10 tend to be quite plain. By default, they tend to be ‘WIN' or ‘Desktop', followed by a string of random letters and numbers. We show you how to change your PC name with Settings, Command Prompt or PowerShell to make it more easily identifiable.

SourceEU
Luke Jones
Luke Jones
Luke has been writing about Microsoft and the wider tech industry for over 10 years. With a degree in creative and professional writing, Luke looks for the interesting spin when covering AI, Windows, Xbox, and more.

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