New York (CNN Business) Microsoft (MSFT) on Monday announced plans to purchase game publisher Bethesda Softworks's parent company, ZeniMax, in a landmark $7.5 billion acquisition deal. Bethesda is one of the world's largest privately-held gaming developers, and its studios have produced several critically acclaimed franchises including " Elder Scrolls ," "Fallout" and " Doom ." Bethesda is also the developer behind "Starfield," one of the gaming world's most-anticipated unreleased titles. Microsoft's Its acquisition is expected to help give a boost toMicrosoft's Xbox Game Pass , a monthly subscription service similar to Netflix that grants users access to a catalog of more than 100 games. Game Pass has raised Microsoft's gaming revenues every year since its June 2017 debut.

Source: CNN September 21, 2020 19:41 UTC