The European Commission approves Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition

The European Commission has officially approved Microsoft's $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the Doom, and Fallout studio Bethesda Softworks parent company. The EU has approved the agreement by Microsoft without any terms and conditions. The acquisition required EU approval before Microsoft could finalize the Bethesda deal and add new future games to its Xbox game pass subscription.

The EU Commission has stated that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, and the entity given is combined with limited market position upstream. Also, there is a robust downstream competitor in the distribution of video games. The transaction was successfully examined under the standard merger review procedure. The firm stated that the procedure will be closed by the end of March.

Once the deal is entirely closed, Microsoft will announce the list of first-party studios. It will jump to 23 following Bethesda sub-studios'= addition, including Dishonored developer Arkane, Wolfenstein studio MachineGames, Doom maker id Software, and The Evil Within studio Tango Gameworks. Microsoft will run Bethesda separately with its existing leadership. This approach will enable the firm to reach new heights in the game distribution and entertainment sector.