Microsoft acquires Bethesda and now fans of Fallout, Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls, and others are asking: Will the next games in these series even be playable on PS5, or will The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 be exclusive to Xbox and Microsoft?
This is the shocking news: On Monday afternoon, Microsoft unexpectedly announced that they have acquired Bethesda. This is a big deal involving insider reports of several billion euros. Bethesda’s studios are now part of the “Xbox Team.”
For the gaming community, this is a massive step that is generating a lot of discussion on social media.
Currently, the next-gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are important topics. In this context, players looking to buy Sony’s PS5 are pondering.
They are wondering if these acquisitions will lead to exclusive offers and if their favorite games might not be available on Sony’s console.
“This is a game-changer […]”
This is how players are reacting: On Reddit, several threads around this topic are currently heating up. In less than an hour and a half, one thread in the large Games subreddit already received over 2600 comments.
- “Man, this is a huge game-changer. Imagine Fallout and Elder Scrolls as exclusive titles […],” writes Ace_OPB on Reddit
- “Xbox has no games! Xbox: How about Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, etc. as exclusive titles? What a wild story to wake up to […]” writes Emperor-Octavian on Reddit
Many users on Twitter are also asking about exclusive offers:
Is the fear of exclusive Bethesda titles justified?
How likely is it that the PS5 won’t get Bethesda games? Microsoft has only provided one statement regarding exclusive titles after the acquisition of Bethesda: Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will be released exclusively on PS5 first. That remains!
However, looking at the past of Xbox/Microsoft and the acquisition of studios, it seems unlikely that there will be a focus on a large strategy with exclusive titles.
In 2014, Microsoft acquired the Minecraft developers Mojang (via GameStar.de). Even today, you can still purchase Minecraft for PlayStation after this acquisition.
Mojang’s new Minecraft Dungeons – the Diablo-Minecraft – which was released in 2020, was also published for PlayStation.
Therefore, it is rather unlikely that a large number of Bethesda’s games will not be released on PS5 in the future. The same goes for current games.
This is what Xbox chief Phil Spencer says (Update at 7 PM, September 21): In an interview with Bloomberg, Microsoft confirmed that the plans for the time-exclusive PS5 games Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will be honored. Future games will be released on Xbox, PC, and other consoles, but this will happen on a case-by-case basis.
ESO Chief says: We expect to continue everywhere
Regarding the new Microsoft deal, Matt Firor, the Studio Director of ZeniMax Online Studios, stated that ESO will continue to be supported just as it has been. “[…] and we expect to grow and thrive on every platform currently supported.” So here, there will very clearly be no exclusivity change.
What do Xbox players gain from the deal?
This is the advantage: In terms of Xbox Game Pass, the acquisition of Bethesda is good news for Xbox users. Because until now, all games from Xbox studios have been included in Game Pass.
And if this is maintained, then in the future, Bethesda games will likely also be included in this offering. Just in time for the release.
The Game Pass is increasingly becoming a “Netflix for gamers.”
For around €10 a month, you get a very wide range of games, including full-price titles or new releases like the recently released Flight Simulator. The Game Pass is receiving more and more positive feedback. It is the best value for money offer that players can avail themselves of, especially since soon games from EA will also be integrated.
Thus, Game Pass subscription users have an advantage over PlayStation players. Microsoft does not foresee a division of the community; in the past, they have always supported crossplay. It seems they want to convince players with good service instead.
Perhaps this is the actual argument with which Microsoft wants to challenge PlayStation 5 and Sony: They do not want to compete for player favor with exclusive titles, but by providing an unbeatable offer with the Game Pass.
You can also save quite a bit with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if you play it right.
