Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media in 2021 for $7.5 billion, including Bethesda Softworks.
Microsoft announced the agreement in September 2020 and completed it on March 9, 2021. ZeniMax was the parent company of Bethesda Softworks and several game studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, and MachineGames.
The acquisition added major franchises to Microsoft’s Xbox portfolio, including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein. Microsoft also gained Bethesda’s publishing and development infrastructure.
ZeniMax Media was the legal corporate entity acquired; Bethesda Softworks was its well-known publishing subsidiary. That distinction matters because many reports describe the purchase simply as Microsoft buying Bethesda. Microsoft later used the deal to expand its Xbox Game Pass catalog and strengthen its first-party game lineup.