Since it became known that Microsoft acquired Bethesda, players on platforms like PlayStation or Switch are worried that there won’t be any new Bethesda games for their platforms soon. Official statements from Microsoft and Bethesda are vague, but according to an expert, it is very clear that Microsoft will offer various Bethesda titles exclusively for the Xbox Series X and S.
Who said what? Tom Warren is a Senior Editor at the tech website The Verge. He previously ran his own news site about Microsoft and has frequently gained attention for leaks and analyses on Microsoft, Xbox, and other gaming topics. He is considered well-connected in the industry.
Via Twitter, he recently commented on the ongoing topic “Microsoft buys Bethesda“. Many players are still wondering whether Microsoft will reserve future Bethesda titles exclusively for the new Xbox Series X, S, and Windows, leaving PS5 players out in the cold.
[There are] many debates about whether Microsoft will offer Bethesda games exclusively in the future. Of course, they will. Not every single game, but exclusive content is exactly what companies like Disney, Netflix, and others rely on to attract subscribers. Xbox Game Pass will be the same.
Tom Warren via Twitter
Will Bethesda games really be exclusive to Xbox?
What does that mean? Tom Warren indicates that Microsoft will definitely offer certain titles exclusively for the Xbox Game Pass. Not every game, but certain top titles will likely land exclusively on Game Pass.
For the subscription service, it is already known that new Bethesda titles will be available immediately on the Pass when they are released. Those who think of “Netflix for gamers” are probably correct, and according to Warren, streaming services like Netflix and others work exactly this way. Namely, by attracting and binding customers with highly sought-after titles.
In a reddit thread about the tweet, many users share this opinion:
- TriedToBlockMeReBorn: “I assume that most future games from Bethesda will be exclusively available for Xbox and PC.”
- Gallias: “Well, it’s obvious that you don’t spend $7.5 billion and release your games on other platforms.”
- Cheezewiz239: “You don’t spend $7 billion and not get exclusive rights. Why can’t people understand that? If they only got time-limited exclusive rights, they wouldn’t buy the parent company, and time-limited exclusive rights are achievable with a few million and not a whole 7 billion.”
- Froztbyte: “Considering that every Bethesda release will now take place on day one of Xbox Game Pass. That’s pretty strong!”
The overall sentiment is that Bethesda will bring its major titles exclusively to Microsoft systems, as anything else would make no sense. However, there is also excitement about the immediate availability of games on Game Pass, which makes it even more attractive.
However, few users are still hopeful that Microsoft will not make everything exclusive. Because if Microsoft – so the argument – also released games for the PS5, they could cash in twice. Once through Game Pass customers and then again from sales on the PS5.
Microsoft can still make money from sales when they release PS5 games. However, if they have a Game Pass, it’s one more reason to buy an Xbox. I don’t understand how they could lose out on that. But if they make it completely exclusive to Xbox, then there will be no sales on PS5 at all.
User Ihatemyselfbutnotyou
This is the official statement: Officially, there is still no clear statement from Microsoft or Bethesda regarding the exclusivity issue. The last statement from Xbox chief Phil Spencer is that they will definitely offer the games via Game Pass on PC and Xbox.
Whether games will also be released on other platforms, such as PS5, will be decided on a “case by case” basis. Therefore, Tom Warren’s statement could indeed make sense. It is possible that major Bethesda titles like the upcoming Elder Scrolls VI or Starfield will only be released as exclusive titles for Windows and Xbox Series S/X for the time being. This would be at least the method that Netflix would have chosen with a comparable series.
This would be a counterexample: However, Microsoft has so far placed little emphasis on exclusives. The new Minecraft Dungeon is also being released for PlayStation. As the owner of developer Mojang, Microsoft could have released the game only for Windows and Xbox here. Perhaps Microsoft expects other benefits from the Bethesda acquisition and in the end does not want to rely on exclusives.
However, it is unlikely that existing Bethesda titles will disappear from the PlayStation offer. Especially service games like ESO or Fallout 76 will certainly remain playable on PlayStation 5. Fans are already actively speculating which studios Sony could buy in response to match Microsoft.
