Microsoft’s Acquisition of Bethesda Has Been Approved by the EU

The mammoth acquisition is on the verge of being finalized.

Posted By | On 08th, Mar. 2021

xbox bethesda acquisition

Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax media has been in the process of getting an approval by the relevant authorities, with the European Competition Commission having been in the process of reviewing the deal. The deal is now another step closer to completion, with the EU having approved the deal.

The EU has said in a statement (via VGC) that following its review of the proposed acquisition, it has concluded that the deal would “raise no competition concerns.”

“The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of ZeniMax Media Inc. by Microsoft Corporation,” the EU’s statement reads. “The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the combined entity’s limited market position upstream and the presence of strong downstream competitors in the distribution of video games. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure.”

Recently, the acquisition was also approved by regulators in the United States, while ZeniMax’s majority stakeholder Providence Equity also no longer lists the company under its active portfolios.

Recent reports have suggested that the finalization of the acquisition will be followed by an event held by Microsoft to discuss the future of Bethesda. Read more on that through here.


Keep On Reading!

Virtua Fighter Crossroads is An “Open Sandbox RPG,” Says Producer, Where “Player Choice Matters”

Virtua Fighter Crossroads is An “Open Sandbox RPG,” Says Producer, Where “Player Choice Matters”

RGG Studio's Riichiro Yamada also promises a "lot of side content", including "side quests with the old cast" ...

Star Wars Eclipse “Simply Cannot Be Completed” if Quantic Dream Proceeds With Layoffs, Say Devs

Star Wars Eclipse “Simply Cannot Be Completed” if Quantic Dream Proceeds With Layoffs, Say Devs

After announcing layoffs for 115 employees following the failure of Spellcasters Chronicles, developers are st...

Dinoblade Launches on July 23rd, Prehistoric Souls-like Combat Showcased in New Trailer

Dinoblade Launches on July 23rd, Prehistoric Souls-like Combat Showcased in New Trailer

What began as a humble series of animations by Jean Nguyen back in 2022 has evolved into a full-fledged PC tit...

Grand Theft Auto 6 Has Seen “Record” Pre-Orders on Xbox Series X/S, Clarifies Microsoft

Grand Theft Auto 6 Has Seen “Record” Pre-Orders on Xbox Series X/S, Clarifies Microsoft

An Xbox spokesperson said that recent estimates "don't represent pre-order data" and that people should "wait ...

Grand Theft Auto 6 Won’t Get a Disc-Based Physical Copy, Despite Recent Reports – Rumor

Grand Theft Auto 6 Won’t Get a Disc-Based Physical Copy, Despite Recent Reports – Rumor

A "source with knowledge of the plans" told The Hollywood Reporter that it's not on the cards, either at launc...

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Showcases Havana’s Astonishing Glow-Up and Authenticity

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Showcases Havana’s Astonishing Glow-Up and Authenticity

From changes in lighting due to nightfall or different types of rainfall and winds, the city looks better than...