Bethesda founder on Microsoft purchase: "What Microsoft owns, Sony cannot get"

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Bethesda founder Christopher Weaver has discussed the impact of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Microsoft's recent acquisition of Zenimax in a new interview wiꦇth , suggesting ꦅthat the studio could become a powerful card for Xbox to play in the coming console generation.

"The acquisition of Bungie acted as an important trigger for the success of the early Xbox. Depending upon how soon Bethesda can prime the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Microsoft pipeline, I suspect Microsoft is looking at their playbook and looking to repeat one of its 'best moves,'" Weaver says. "If the strategy works, it will be a brilliant counter-move against Sony. Users from around the world will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this de♒a💖l."

We already know that Bethesda's existing catalog will come to Xbox through Game Pass, but the availability of the studio's upcoming games remains to be seen. All future Bethesda games will also be on Game Pass at launch, which will be a huge boon for Xbox, but outright exclusivity hasn't been confirmed . Microsoft will honor the previously announced PS5 timed exclusivity for Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, but far-off releases like 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Starfield and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Elder Scrolls 6 could still skip 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:PS5 in favor of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Xbox Series X and Windows 10 PCs. 

"I do not think it is any accident that this announ🧸cement occurred so cl💛ose to Sony’s PS5 announcement," Weaver says of the acquisition. "There are only a limited number of proven creators of AAA. What Microsoft owns, Sony cannot get." 

Xbox boss Phil Spencer assured fans that 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Bethesda will operate "semi-independently" following the acquisition, and that the studio's internal structure won't be affected. However, Weaver says he has "yet to m🐎eet🌃 an executive who does not want to accelerate the sale of a potential product," suggesting Microsoft may want to hurry Bethesda's next big release, if only as an opportunity to make full use of the studio as an asset. That said, he did cushion this theory with the belief that "I have to believe Microsoft execs will be responsive to Bethesda's input." 

Weaver founded Bethesda in 1986 and Zenimax in 1999, but left both companies in 2002. By 2007, whi🅘le he was still a major shareholder at Zenimax, he wasn't involved with the company in any capacity. He says he now owns only a small number of Zenimax stocks, and has since left the games industry entirely to work in academia. Nevertheless, as the founder of both Bethesda and Zenimax as well as one of the top-ranking executives from the companies' early days, his insights are relevant and valuable. 

Spencer says Bethesda has an "incredibly exciting" lineup of unannounced games waiting in the wings.

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a🐲 game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.