Microsoft has been given the green light by the European Union to acquire ZeniMax Media, the company behind Bethesda 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.
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