Microsoft’s $7.5 billion Bethesda deal has been approved by the EU

Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of game developer Bethesda, is nearing the finish line. On Monday the European Commission announced on its website that it has approved the deal under the EU Merger Regulation. The Commission, the statement reads, “concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given the combined entity’s limited market position upstream and the presence of strong downstream competitors in the distribution of video games.” 

Monday’s update follows the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of the deal on March 4.

First announced in September, the deal will see Microsoft acquire all the properties of ZeniMax Media, including a number of game developers, most notably Bethesda Softworks and Id Software. Bethesda is the maker of hugely popular games such as the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series, while Id Software is best known for the Doom, Rage and Wolfenstein franchises. 

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Microsoft just bought Bethesda for $7.5B: Here’s a breakdown…

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Microsoft said last year that it would run Bethesda as its own division while leaving its leadership in place. 

With the EU and SEC giving their approval the deal has crossed some of its final potential hurdles, paving the way for the purchase to close.