European Commission approves Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media

Days after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, the European Commission has also given its approval for the move to be completed. 

Microsoft announced it had a deal in place to acquire ZeniMax last September with a planned closing window set for the second half of 2021, based on how long groups like the SEC took to review and approve the deal. 

The Commission noted that “the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns” and concluded that the deal falls well within compatibility with its review process of the common market. With this decision, Microsoft can now move forward with the merger, which will see ZeniMax and its properties merged with a new subsidiary called Vault before it is dissolved, making ZeniMax a full subsidiary of Microsoft. 

As part of its next step, Microsoft is reportedly going to host a video presentation on March 11, according to VentureBeat and industry insider Daniel Ahmad. 

Both sources mentioned the focus of the presentation will be on Microsoft’s plans to bring Bethesda games to Xbox Game Pass, showcasing the variety and strength of the incoming studios, and potentially sharing bits of how this acquisition will contribute to Xbox Games Studios’ development strategy over the next few years. 

More details about the presentation and Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax will be shared over the next several days.