Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda can turn out to be a major blow against Sony in the years to come. Bethesda’s catalog of IP features some absolute massive names and industry heavy hitters, including the likes of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, and more, and though Microsoft have said that their exclusivity will be decided on a case-by-case basis, if they are exclusive to Xbox and PC, that would lock PlayStation out of some of the biggest properties in the industry.
Speaking in an interview with Inverse, Bethesda founder Christopher Weaver, who left the company in 2002, said that by acquiring Bethesda – one of the few proven developers of AAA experiences in the industry – that is exactly what Microsoft have done.
“I do not think it is any accident that this announcement occurred so close to Sony’s PS5 announcement,” said Weaver, referring to Sony’s PS5 Showcase, where the console’s price, release date, and launch lineup were announced. “There are only a limited number of proven creators of AAA. What Microsoft owns, Sony cannot get.”
Whether or not the likes of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and more will release on PlayStation consoles remains to be seen, but it’s hard to see Microsoft allowing that to happen, especially considering the fact that they spent a massive $7.5 billion on Bethesda’s acquisition. On the other hands, all future Bethesda games will join Xbox Game Pass at launch.
In the same interview, Weaver also mentioned that Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda is “a brilliant counter-move against Sony.” Read more on that through here.
