Xbox Buys Bethesda: What It Means For Game Pass, Starfield, PS5 + More | Generation Next

The Generation Next crew break down what Xbox buying Bethesda means for Game Pass, and upcoming Bethesda games like Starfield and PS5 exclusives Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop.

Unexpected news means an unexpected bonus episode of Generation Next. Microsoft has purchased ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda. This landmark acquisition is going to have a significant impact on the future of video games so, just moments after the announcement, Lucy, Tamoor, and Jordan sat down to talk about the implications.

For context, this is one of Microsoft's most expensive recent acquisitions, with the company spending more on Bethesda than it did on Minecraft. The $7.5 billion is even more than Disney spent on Marvel and Lucasfilm, which really drives home the value it sees in ZeniMax Media's subsidiary studios.

For those unaware, the acquisition means Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog join the Xbox family, bringing with them franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Dishonored, and Wolfenstein, among many others.

So, what does it all mean? Watch this episode of Generation Next and find out. The gang covers everything from the particulars of the acquisition to the impact it'll have on Game Pass, and what it means for existing exclusivity deals with PlayStation, as well as how these studio purchases align with Xbox boss Phil Spencer's ethos of making gaming available to anyone and everyone.

00:00 - Intro
00:49 - Acquisition Cost + All Xbox Studios
05:01 - Console Exclusivity
06:59 - Game Pass + Starfield
10:13 - Bethesda Games on PS+?
11:19 - Outro