After the announcement that Microsoft has acquired Bethesda, fans of PlayStation worried about whether the developer’s games will still appear on PlayStation 5. In a statement from Executive Producer Todd Howard, it sounds like they don’t have to worry about it.
This is what Howard says: In an official blog post from Bethesda, Todd Howard states that he is extremely happy about the Microsoft deal. With Microsoft, they have a partner that represents the values in which they also believe at Bethesda:
We share a deep belief in the power of games, their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy. And the belief that we should share this with everyone – regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on.
Especially the last section stating that it “doesn’t matter” what you play on sounds like future titles from Bethesda will be available on all major platforms – or at least not just exclusively for Xbox.
Whether he specifically refers to the upcoming PlayStation 5 is not clear from the statement. However, he couldn’t “imagine a better partner” than Microsoft for what he and Bethesda plan to do with their games.
PlayStation fans worry about Fallout & Elder Scrolls
Where does the concern come from? On September 21, Microsoft announced that it had acquired ZeniMax, and thus also Bethesda – for a whopping $7.5 billion. Now some of the most famous franchises are under Microsoft’s flag:
- Fallout
- The Elder Scrolls
- DOOM
- Wolfenstein
The acquisition particularly worried PlayStation players about whether Fallout 5 and The Elder Scrolls VI will even appear on PlayStation 5. After all, Microsoft is a major competitor with Xbox, and they fear that the titles may become Xbox-exclusive.
The Xbox CEO himself raised further doubts on the topic by stating that such matters will be decided on a “case-by-case” basis. The cryptic statement caused even more anxiety among players.
Is there any news on Elder Scrolls and Co.? Howard briefly addresses how Microsoft’s acquisition will affect the development of upcoming games. He leads to “our most comprehensive engine revision since Oblivion,” which is supposed to make the newly announced Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI possible. However, there are no details available yet.
Whether Fallout 5 and TES 6 will actually become Xbox-exclusive or not remains to be seen in the future. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus considers it quite unlikely – for several reasons. As a Fallout fan, he also thinks that the acquisition of Bethesda is a reason to celebrate.
