Microsoft isn’t finished acquiring game studios

Now, Microsoft has 23 first-party studios, with id Software, Bethesda Game Studios and Arkane being amongst the company’s latest additions. Is that enough for Microsoft? No, more acquisitions are expected in the future, as Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has made it clear that the company will consider more acquisitions as they continue to invest in the Xbox brand and into Xbox Game Pass. 

As Nadella states, “You can’t wake up one day and say, ‘Let me build a game studio,'”. Creating new game studios is a challenging task, a fact that makes acquisition an ideal growth vector for Microsoft. Nadella also stated that “The idea of having content is so we can reach larger communities.” signifying Microsoft’s hopes that these acquisitions will give the Xbox brand the content that it needs to become more successful within the next console generation. 

With their acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Micorosft’sleadership has confirmed that they plan to make no sweeping changes to ZeniMax and Bethesda after their acquisition. Game development will continue as scheduled, and the prior commitments of their developers will be honoured. That means that Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will still be released as Sony timed exclusives, even though these games are now being developed by Microsoft subsidiaries.