The launch of the next generation of Xbox got even more interesting with Microsoft acquiring gaming giant Bethesda Softworks in a $7.5 billion deal yesterday. The deal with ZeniMax Media — the parent company of Bethesda — is Microsoft’s biggest ever in the gaming sector, triple that of its 2014 purchase of “Minecraft” maker Mojang.
Early plans suggest Microsoft will add Bethesda’s portfolio of games to Xbox Game Pass, the cloud-based service with more than 15 million subscribers. This will include top games like “Fallout,” “The Elder Scrolls,” and “Doom.”
Despite fewer gaming deals than 2019, 2020 has already surpassed last year in video game merger and acquisition value.
Video Game Mergers and Acquisitions:
- 2020: 91 deals worth $11 billion
- 2019: 160 deals worth $9.3 billion
- 2018: 150 deals worth $10.6 billion
