Microsoft creates new company, Vault to complete ZeniMax / Bethesda deal

Legal documents indicate that Microsoft intends to create a new 100% subsidiary called Vault to finalize its agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media. It is not clear whether ZeniMax will be known as the Vault after the deal is concluded; the European Union is currently deciding whether or not to approve the $ 7.5 billion acquisition that was revealed in September. 2020. Documents viewed on the European Union Acquisition Logistics Law website, mentioning a “merger whereby a newly created Microsoft subsidiary (‘Vault’) will be merged with and into ZeniMax.”

While it’s unclear exactly how this will work, the “ Vault ” subsidiary would be a good way to host new Microsoft acquisitions under a near-independent banner, offering ZeniMax studios (which includes Bethesda, Arkane, MachineGames, etc. freedom while owned by Microsoft. The text explicitly says that Microsoft will acquire “sole control over all of ZeniMax” no matter what, but the document suggests they will do so through branch Vault, and we’ll be sure to learn more once the deal is approved by the European Union.

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It’s a different take on previous Microsoft acquisitions, such as Obsidian, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine, which were officially incorporated into Microsoft and hosted under its Xbox Game Studios brand. Whether the ZeniMax studios are known to be part of Vault or not, the move to create a Microsoft subsidiary to complete the merger appears to mark a level of independence from other acquired companies.

This matches previous reports on Bethesda’s semi-independence under Microsoft. Phil Spencer told CNET in September that “it’s not about becoming us,” in reference to the deal. Bethesda SVP Global Marketing Pete Hines backed this up, saying in a statement that “we are still working on the same games we were yesterday, made by the same studios we have worked with for years, and those games will be released by us. At about the same time.

We still haven’t heard how the acquisition will work with regards to the exclusivity of future Bethesda games. However, Bethesda chief Todd Howard recently said it was “hard to imagine” a game like Elder Scrolls 6 being Xbox exclusive. Arkane’s Deathloop will launch later this year as a timed PS5 exclusive, with Microsoft honoring the deal following the Arkane acquisition as part of the ZeniMax acquisition.

Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.