It’s no secret that Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax was certain to have an impact on cross-platform releases, but there are now clues that gamers may lose out on some important releases.
Under questioning from a lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking an injunction against the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard transaction, Bethesda VP Pete Hines revealed that Disney had an agreement with ZeniMax to release MachineGames’ Indiana Jones title on various consoles.
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However, after Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, the agreement was changed to make it an Xbox console exclusive.
The FTC also believes Bethesda’s sci-fi epic Starfield was on its way to the PlayStation 5 prior to Microsoft’s acquisition. According to Bloomberg, Bethesda has canceled the PlayStation version of Redfall, which isn’t surprising given the vampire shooter’s poor reaction.
According to Hines, Indiana Jones was made an exclusive due to the nature of the Disney license.
The project received a “ton of feedback” from Disney, which constrained development time, and an Xbox exclusive would keep the game on pace while delivering a “degree of clarity,” according to the Bethesda executive. Originals include Starfield and Redfall.
We’ve reached out to Bethesda for comment. In 2021, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer stated that Microsoft’s ownership of ZeniMax would result in “great exclusive games.”
Due to contractual constraints, other titles that were still in development at the time, such as Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo, were still going to PlayStation.
The disclosures are unlikely to strengthen the FTC’s case against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
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They don’t look good, though, because they imply that certain players are missing out on high-profile games that were previously planned for their preferred console.
In order to obtain regulatory approval, Microsoft has committed to releasing Call of Duty on many platforms for years to come, but this may not be enough if officials are still concerned about other exclusives.
