Microsoft’s $7.5 billion Bethesda acquisition bolsters Xbox Game Pass

The Preorders for the Xbox Series X and S begin tomorrow, and Microsoft just gave fans a reason to feel good about showing up to the next-gen party. Xbox is acquiring Bethesda Softworks and its parent company, ZeniMax Media. Bethesda is the publisher responsible for games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout, and Doom. And now those games join Halo and Gears of War as first-party Microsoft releases that will contribute to filling out the Xbox Game Pass service in the future.

As part of the deal, Microsoft is paying $7.5 billion in cash for ZeniMax Media. That fee will get Microsoft all of Bethesda’s properties as well as eight studios with 2,300 employees. Those teams include Bethesda Studios, Id Software, ZeniMax Online, Arkane Studios, Machine Games, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios.