Microsoft Corp to acquire Doom-owner ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion

(Reuters) – Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in cash, strengthening its Xbox video game offering with the studio behind smash hit titles Fallout and the Doom reboot.

ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, whose hits also include Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls.

Microsoft said it plans to bring Bethesda’s future games into its monthly Xbox Game Pass subscription service when they launch on Xbox or PC.

Gaming is on a tear due to demand from stuck-at-home users during the COVID-19 pandemic and Microsoft has put its faith in offering users many ways to play via its cloud service and consoles at different price points.