![]() ![]() The service connected players to chat and find multiplayer games to play via listings. Getting rid of "just another game launcher" isn't a bad call, but what does that mean for the legacy of ?īlizzard introduced all the way back at the end of 1996, officially being used when Diablo launched on January 3, 1997. You may not migrate your games to Xbox or PlayStation, it's only for PC.Some Bethesda titles are still going to require that you have a account to play.Many game saves will transfer, some will require manual copying.Any purchases will also migrate to Steam for free.All your games will migrate to Steam for free.In early April, you can start the migration process.Here's what players that are using the Bethesda launcher need to know about the shutdown: Wait, did people use Bethesda's launcher? It's no secret that it requires a team to properly maintain a games launcher, and it's certainly no surprise that Microsoft may be making the push to consolidate it's teams and branding to get games under the same umbrella. So, a little under a year after the acquisition became official, they have decided to trashcan their own launcher which made its debut back in 2016. The shutdown includes a move to Steam.īethesda was officially acquired by Microsoft on March 9, 2021, and the Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, made a post about it on Xbox Wire. Today, Bethesda announced that they are shutting down their own launcher in May of this year. So, what does that mean for Blizzard's own launcher, which also hosts Activision's recent suite of games, mostly the yearly iteration of Call of Duty?īethesda Shuts Down the Bethesda Launcher Master Chief with Microsoft's Cortana, the AI assistant that should have stayed in Halo. Which, makes sense when you consider Microsoft wants you on their platforms. Microsoft also has begun offering their titles on Valve's Steam platform, such as the recent-ish Halo: Master Chief Collection and the new Halo Infinite, though if you have Game Pass you won't see any integration which the former game requiring a full purchase even if you are already a Game Pass subscriber. Buying into the service means getting to access your content in one simple to use place, or two if you play on both console and PC. Microsoft makes these games available through Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass through the Xbox app on Microsoft Windows, and on Microsoft's own Xbox series of consoles. Plenty of new AAA releases are available day 1 on Game Pass, making the subscription that much more enticing if you enjoy playing plenty of titles that end up in Microsoft's and their partner's hands. It's hard as a gamer to not hear about Game Pass because it's advertised constantly to us. Upon close, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios, along with additional publishing and esports production capabilities. With Activision Blizzard's nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and three billion-dollar franchises, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry. The acquisition also bolsters Microsoft's Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass, which has reached a new milestone of over 25 million subscribers. Quote From Activision Blizzard Investor Relations Although no exact details were provided on which games of the bunch would end up on Game Pass, we suspect Call of Duty will be a large subscription driver to games as service for Microsoft. The statement indicated that the acquisition would "bolster Microsoft's Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass". This deal, also announced by Activision Blizzard, brought up Microsoft's Game Pass offering, which for a monthly subscription fee, you receive access to hundreds of games in Microsoft's collection. After the announcement, Activision Blizzard's stock price jumped back up after it took a dive in November following the news of delays for Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, and further dives after additional articles came out stating that " Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Knew for Years About Sexual-Misconduct Allegations" to which Activision Blizzard followed it up stating they were " disappointed" in the Wall Street Journal's report and stated it was "misleading".īuy high, sell low, it's the WallStreetBets way. Although the deal still needs to go through the proper regulatory approvals, many in the gaming space are considering it a done deal with Microsoft's previous acquisitions going through without a hitch. Just over a month ago, Microsoft publicly announced their intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in a record-breaking $69 Billion all-cash deal. ![]()
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