European Commission Approves Microsoft’s $7.5B Acquisition Of ZeniMax Media

Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media and its studios is nearing completion with the European Commission’s recent approval of the $7.5 billion deal. According to GamesIndustry.biz, the EC, the executive branch of the European Union, officially approved the deal last Friday citing that the acquisition “does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market,” based on the EC Merger Regulation.

The deal was announced in September 2020, and once complete, will grant Microsoft ownership of ZeniMax Media, its studios, and its popular IPs, which includes Doom, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls. Microsoft, however, assured that ZeniMax’s current cross-platform strategies and exclusivity agreements will remain in place. Whether future games will be Microsoft-exclusive will be decided on a case-to-case basis.

There have also been reports that the US Securities and Exchange Commission has also approved the deal. These reports have since been found to be untrue.