The Elder Scrolls Online doesn't make a lot of headlines these days, but the game is still alive and well. Through yearly expansions and consistent content updates, ESO has become one of the most lore-rich, solo-friendly MMOs on the market, especially for those interested in story content. This has led …
Read More »Bethesda exec confirms Indiana Jones is an Xbox console exclusive
Prior to being acquired by Microsoft, Bethesda announced that Machine Games was working on its own Indiana Jones game. At the time, the game was planned to release on multiple platforms, but after the acquisition, the agreement between Bethesda and Disney was amended. This week, the US District Court of …
Read More »Microsoft refutes Hi-Fi Rush failure claims
HI-Fi Rush might be the biggest surprise of 2023 so far, with the Xbox console exclusive game getting announced and released on the same day to great fanfare thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics and punchy art style. Unfortunately, despite its critical success, according to insiders the game did not …
Read More »The Elder Scrolls Online officially surpasses 22 million players
While fans have been waiting for a new single player Elder Scrolls game since 2011, the series’ MMO entry – The Elder Scrolls Online – has been trucking along since 2014, seeing consistent support and updates from the team at Zenimax Online Studios. This has helped the MMO carve a …
Read More »Bethesda’s secret game ‘SpyTeam’ appears again in trademark filings
We've known for a while now that Bethesda has greenlit a few unannounced games after being acquired by Microsoft. We've seen a couple of these games already, including titles like Redfall and recent surprise hit, Hi-Fi Rush. Bethesda does have another unannounced game in the works – SpyTeam. We first …
Read More »Studio behind Elder Scrolls Online has been working on a new IP for half a decade
Since its founding all the way back in 2007, Zenimax Online Studios has been known exclusively for its work on Elder Scrolls Online – the well-liked MMO based on Bethesda’s incredibly popular RPG series. Despite their continued work on and support for the game, Zenimax has reportedly been working on …
Read More »The Elder Scrolls Online’s Morrowind expansion is now free for all players
The Elder Scrolls Online doesn't often make headlines, but the MMO is still going strong and is continuing to get major expansions and updates each year. In a couple of months time, the latest expansion, High Isle, will be launching and to help players catch up on story content, Zenimax …
Read More »id Software job listings hint at new Quake and Doom games in development
While we've heard that id Software does have plenty of ideas for future DOOM games, the studio has said little about Quake in recent years. We did get a small remaster of Quake last year with some new maps created by Machine Games, and now, it looks like id Software …
Read More »Id Software job listings hint at new Quake game
Over the last five years, id Software has been exclusively focussing on DOOM, bringing us the 2016 reboot and more recently, Doom Eternal. Now, it looks like the studio might be switching things up a bit, possibly with a new Quake game. the last Quake title to be released was …
Read More »Microsoft completes acquisition of Bethesda
After several days of approvals and clearing red tape, Microsoft has officially acquired ZeniMax Media. Today, the $7.5 billion deal completed, immediately bringing Bethesda and other ZeniMax teams into Microsoft's first party line-up.
Read More »Microsoft may be holding an event this Thursday
As we navigate through 2021, fans have been looking forward into the year, wondering what new gaming experiences await them. While both Nintendo and PlayStation have now updated fans on what to expect, through a Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play respectively, Microsoft has been relatively silent. However, it …
Read More »Microsoft’s ZeniMax acquisition approved by SEC and EU Commission
It has been around six months since Microsoft first announced plans to acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion. Now, it looks like the final hurdles have been cleared, with reports indicating that the merger has been approved by regulators. Today, the EU has approved Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax without conditions, …
Read More »Fallout 4 season pass lawsuit aims to delay Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition
While Microsoft is expecting regulatory approvals for its acquisition of Bethesda/ZeniMax within the next week, there is one other surprise potential blockade in the way. A lawsuit against Bethesda over Fallout 4's Season Pass has been updated, requesting that the merger be postponed. The class action lawsuit claims that Bethesda's …
Read More »Bethesda-focused event to follow acquisition approval in March
Microsoft is set to complete its acquisition of ZeniMax Media within the next couple of weeks. There have been a lot of questions around Microsoft's plans for ZeniMax and Bethesda and it sounds like we may finally get some answers, as reports indicate that there will be a small event …
Read More »Microsoft sets up ‘Vault’ – a subsidiary to absorb ZeniMax and Bethesda
As we've known for months now, Microsoft is in the process of acquiring ZeniMax Media and all of its subsidiaries, including Bethesda. The acquisition is due for approval from the EU in the next few weeks. To gain this approval, Microsoft is setting up a new subsidiary called ‘Vault', which …
Read More »EU Commission to rule on Microsoft’s ZeniMax acquisition by March 5th
It has been several months since Microsoft announced its plans to acquire ZeniMax for a massive $7.5 billion USD. Of course, with any major acquisition, there are regulatory approvals that need to be obtained. Here in Europe, the EU Commission will make a decision on the acquisition by the 5th …
Read More »ZeniMax Online announces pre-production for AAA game
Microsoft’s recent purchase of ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion served as a major boon for the console manufacturer’s first party output. These recently acquired studios have now begun to share details on their future projects. One such studio is ZeniMax Online. Known best for the Elder Scrolls Online MMO, the …
Read More »EA was close to acquiring ZeniMax and Bethesda previously
Microsoft buying Zenimax Media/Bethesda is a move that seemingly came out of nowhere but as it turns out, ZeniMax has had a number of suitors over the years. According to new reports, at one point, even EA was close to buying Zenimax, a buy-out that would have included the rights …
Read More »Xbox Game Pass hits 15 million subscribers
It is increasingly becoming clear that Xbox Game Pass is core to Microsoft’s strategy for the next generation of Xbox gaming. Alongside the recent announcement that Bethesda is joining Xbox Games Studios, the console manufacturer revealed that its Game Pass subscription service has reached 15 million subscribers – an increase …
Read More »Microsoft acquires Zenimax Media and Bethesda
In a move that absolutely nobody anticipated, Microsoft today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Zenimax Media. Moving forward, Bethesda, Arkane Studios, id Software, Tango Gameworks and more will be joining the Xbox Games Studios family. The deal was announced today and is estimated to be worth …
Read More »EU Commission launches antitrust investigation into Valve and other publishers for geo-blocking
The European Commission tends to launch several large antitrust investigations each year. While most of the ones we report on tend to fall in the tech realm, this week, the EU is turning its attention to gaming. More specifically, the commission is investigating publishers and platform holders over content geo-blocking, …
Read More »ZeniMax and Facebook’s Oculus VR lawsuit comes to an end
ZeniMax might have settled its legal conflict with Doom co-creator John Carmack in October, but its battle with Oculus has raged on since. Fortunately, the feud with the Facebook-owned company has finally come to an end as ZeniMax and Oculus settle out of court. Way back in 2014, ZeniMax opened …
Read More »The Elder Scrolls VI likely won’t launch until the next-generation of consoles
Bethesda teased the world in June with its official unveiling of The Elder Scrolls VI, the next entry in its expansive role-playing fantasy series. It turns out the wait might be longer than some expected, as the developer hints that the sixth iteration might skip current generation consoles. “The easiest …
Read More »id Software and Doom co-creator settles legal fight with ZeniMax
Doom co-creator John Carmack has been in legal conflict with ZeniMax since early last year, claiming that the publisher owed him $22.5 million for their purchase of id Software in 2009. Although Carmack’s role as Oculus’ CTO is still the centre of a separate ongoing lawsuit, he has stated that …
Read More »Judge cuts damages owed to ZeniMax in half and allows Oculus Rift sales to continue
Back in early 2017, the big ZeniMax VS Oculus/Facebook trial officially took place, with the end result being a $500 million fine against Facebook. Since then, ZeniMax filed for an injunction in an effort to halt Rift sales, and Facebook has appealed the fine. This week, Facebook scored two wins …
Read More »Doom VFR crashes when launching on Rift, Valve provides a workaround
Given that there is a very public and ugly legal battle going on between Zenimax and Oculus/Facebook at the moment, Oculus Rift support for Bethesda's new virtual reality titles was in doubt. DOOM VFR is the first of Bethesda's VR games to land on PC and sure enough, it seems …
Read More »ZeniMax sued over Fallout 4 live action trailer
Back in 2015 during the build up to Fallout 4's release, a live-action trailer for the game was produced, featuring a song titled ‘The Wanderer'. Unfortunately for Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax, the singer of that song doesn't appear to be a big fan of the trailer and is suing ZeniMax …
Read More »US Judge calls for ZeniMax and Oculus to settle their differences
The legal battle between ZeniMax and Oculus continues this week. Following the original trial, ZeniMax filed an injunction, asking a court to remove the Oculus Rift from sale or grant the company a 20% royalty award for sales over the next ten years. The hearing for that injunction kicked off …
Read More »Zenimax is now suing Samsung over the Gear VR, claims it was built on stolen technology
Having successfully secured a $500 million payout from Oculus earlier this year, Zenimax is now turning its attention to other companies involved with Oculus. This time around, Zenimax is suing Samsung over the Gear VR headset, due to the fact that it uses Oculus software. The new lawsuit also throws …
Read More »Oculus seeks new trial for Zenimax case, says the jury got it wrong
It looks like Oculus's legal team is finally making its move, with the company now seeking a new trial for the Zenimax lawsuit. Oculus is under the belief that the jury's verdict went against the evidence shown and that the $500 million fine is excessive. By going back to trial …
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