Some Bethesda games will be Xbox console exclusives, Microsoft has confirmed after finalizing its purchase of the Skyrim and Fallout parent company.
The $7.5 billion deal cleared today after first being announced back in September. Microsoft has previously confirmed that it wants Bethesda content to be "first or better or best" on its own platforms, but this is the first time it has explicitly said that some of Bethesda's new games won't be coming to PS5 or Switch at all.
"This is the next step in building an industry-leading first party studios team, a commitment we have to our Xbox community," Xbox boss Phil Spencer wrote in an Xbox Wire post. "With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players."
- Phil Spencer isn't ruling out Xbox exclusives like Starfield making the jump to other platforms: "There is no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game"
- Xbox bringing its exclusives to PS5 has a precedent set by Sega, but "it makes the conversation harder to create the FOMO," says former PlayStation boss
The big question is which games this will apply to. The language of "new titles" makes it clear the Xbox won't be going back and removing already released Bethesda games from other platforms, but that's about all we know for sure. Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 could be Xbox console exclusives under this arrangement, or Spencer may only be referring to unannounced Bethesda projects. We'll just have to wait and find out.
Despite the change in business structure, Spencer said "it’s vitally important that Bethesda continues making games the way it always has".
If this news changes how you feel about the console generation, you may want to check our guide on how to buy Xbox Series X.
