Microsoft : to Buy Video-Game Maker ZeniMax Media for $7.5 Billion

By Matt Grossman

Microsoft Corp. will buy ZeniMax Media, parent company of video-game publisher Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion in cash, Microsoft said Monday.

The acquisition will include ZeniMax's offices and studios with more than 2,300 employees, according to Microsoft. The acquisition will grow Microsoft's gaming operations to 23 creative studio teams, from 15 now. The deal will also add ZeniMax video-game franchises to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass.

ZeniMax video-game franchises include "The Elder Scrolls," "Fallout," "DOOM" and "Starfield."

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella called gaming "the most expansive category in the entertainment industry."

The deal is expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2021, Microsoft said.

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