Visitors line up to play the video game Fallout 76, developed and published by Bethesda Softworks, during Paris Games Week on October 27, 2018.
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LONDON – The European Union has approved the acquisition of ZeniMax by Microsoft for $ 7.5 billion, the parent company of the flagship video game publisher Bethesda Softworks.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, took the decision to clarify the Microsoft-ZeniMax deal on Friday, according to an update of the merger case register. The Commission says it found no competition issues arising from the acquisition.
Microsoft announced it would buy ZeniMax in September. It’s the largest game acquisition in Microsoft’s history, eclipsing the $ 2.5 billion the firm paid for Minecraft developer Mojang in 2014.
Bethesda is a famous name in the video game industry, known for publishing a number of successful gaming franchises such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Doom. Microsoft plans to boost its subscription offering, Xbox Game Pass, by bringing Bethesda games to its extensive library of titles.