Microsoft confirms future Bethesda games will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass, PC

Microsoft’s $9.7bn deal has now gone through, and while the head of Xbox has called it “exciting”, it looks set to disappoint fans of some popular franchises.

Microsoft has confirmed everyone’s worst fear from its recent acquisition of venerated game maker Bethesda that some of the titles will be exclusive to the company’s own Xbox gaming console.

Microsoft did a $US7.5 billion ($A9.7 billion) deal to buy Zenimax Media in September last year, the parent company that owns game publisher Bethesda Softworks behind iconic titles like the Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Dishonoured franchises.

On Wednesday, Xbox head Phil Spencer announced the acquisition was complete, calling it “an exciting day for Xbox”.

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer unveiling the Xbox Series X in 2019. Picture: Frank Micelotta / PictureGroup

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“Now that everything is official, we can begin working together to deliver more great games to everyone,” Mr Spencer said.

Everyone with an Xbox console or gaming PC that is.

“With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players,” Mr Spencer said.

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Bethesda has officially been acquired by Microsoft and Xbox.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a popular Bethesda title. A sixth Elder Scrolls game is reportedly in development.

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It’s understood that the upcoming titles Deathloop and Ghost Wire: Tokyo, slated to launch first on PS5, will honour that arrangement to hit Sony’s console first, but those will likely be the last to launch first on PlayStation.

It’s not yet clear whether the “new titles in the future” will be instalments in the popular franchises Bethesda has already or whether they’re for completely new games that haven’t been announced yet.

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Microsoft announced it would acquire Bethesda a few months before the new Xbox consoles launched in November last year.

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The Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s attempts at a “Netflix-for-gaming” style subscription service, where you pay a monthly fee ($10.95 per month for Xbox and PC, or $15.95 for the Ultimate plan that gets you access on both platforms and also includes Xbox Live Gold) to get access to a library of more than 100 games and new titles from Xbox Game Studios on the day they launch.

Mr Spencer said “Bethesda understands the potential of Xbox Game Pass” and the two companies “have long shared a common vision for the future of gaming”.

Reactions have been mixed online, with some distraught at the news while others highlighted that it’s just good business, and others speculated on which games will be exclusive to Xbox.

I'm literally in panic mode rn. BETHESDA IS EXCLUSIVE. It's confirmed pic.twitter.com/1KaVQu1Zj6

— Nobody_kix ❎#XBTCHILL❎ (@KixNobody) March 9, 2021

It’s interesting that Sony fans will rub Spider-Man, God of War, TLOU etc. in Xbox fans faces but they also think it would be crazy if all Bethesda games suddenly went Xbox/PC exclusive 🤔
Insomniac was bought for $299M now is PS only.
Bethesda was $7.5 Billion
Just sayin!

— Destin (@DestinLegarie) March 9, 2021

My guess? Bethesda's single player games will be exclusive to Xbox while the multiplayer games will be multiplat.

— Tony Polanco (@Romudeth) March 9, 2021

If it were sony acquiring Bethesda we wouldn't even be having this discussion they would make everything exclusive and the games journalists would praise them

— Phil lost his tacos (@Ilostmytacos98) March 6, 2021

Xbox and Bethesda's exclusivity strategy going forward is simple --

- If your game comes out on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, it's an Xbox/PC exclusive
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, it also comes to PS5
- Switch can have every other Sunday

— Marty Sliva (@McBiggitty) March 9, 2021