The Elder Scrolls 6’s future on Xbox could be announced very soon
According to a new report
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Update:Microsofthas released a blog post about its Bethesda acquisition. Read the full storyhere.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, has been finalized and, according to a new report, Microsoft is ready to talk about what that means for much-loved franchises such as The Elder Scrolls,Falloutand Doom.
According to a report byGamesBeat, “sources familiar with the plans” told the publication that Microsoft is planning to hold a presentation on March 11 to discuss what the acquisition means for players.
While the report claims that it’s unlikely we will get any solid details on upcoming Bethesda games likeStarfieldandThe Elder Scrolls 6, Microsoft is expected to announce which of Bethesda games will be making their way toXbox Game Pass- and that any upcoming Bethesda titles will land on Game Pass at launch.
That means thatXbox Game Passsubscribers would get access toStarfield, The Elder Scrolls 6,the new Indiana Jones game, and any future Bethesda titles, on launch day for free as part of their Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Both companies are also allegedly gearing up for announcements in the Summer (between June and September) but, while Bethesda is now technically a Microsoft studio, the report claims that the two companies plan to hold separate showcases. Though it’s possible that the showcases may be held back-to-back.
The big question
The big question on everyone’s lips is what does the acquisition mean for PlayStation players. As Microsoft now owns Bethesda, it has every right to make any of the developer’s future titles Xbox exclusive, meaning future Bethesda games wouldn’t launch on thePS5. However, Microsoft hasn’t confirmed its plans on platform exclusivity yet.
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According to the report, it “remains unclear” whether Microsoft will address this during the rumored presentation later this week.
Previously it has been noted byBloomberg’s Jason Schreier via reporter Dina Bassthat future Bethesda games “will be on Xbox, PC and ‘other consoles on a case-by-case basis’”. While games already bound by PS5 exclusivity agreements, likeDeathloopand Ghostwire: Tokyo, will continue to release as before.
Last we heard, evenSonyitself was unclear of what the acquisition would mean for PlayStation players. In an interview with Russian publicationTASS(via our friends atGamesRadar), Sony Interactive Entertaiment CEO Jim Ryan said back in November that he’s still uncertain as to whether upcoming titles Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 will come to PlayStation - or whether both will be Microsoft exclusives.
“That’s a decision that is out of our hands,” Ryan said. “We’ll wait and see what happens. I look forward to learning about that.”
What does seem likely is that Xbox and PC players are likely to get preferential treatment when it comes to Bethesda games. If Microsoft does decide to allow Bethesda titles onto PS5, we will likely see them hit Xbox Series X andXbox Series Sfirst - with Xbox Game Pass subscribers getting access as part of their subscription from day one.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed the presentation is taking place on March 11 and there’s still a possibility it isn’t happening or won’t be happening on that particular date. But we’re expecting to have our burning questions answered sooner rather than later.
An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she’s appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.
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