To say 2020 was a big year for Microsoft would be an understatement. With the anticipated launch of the Xbox Series X/S and various next-gen titles occurring late last year, and the surprising announcement that Microsoft was acquiring Bethesda Softworks, it seems as though Microsoft is just getting started. In fact, the publisher is reportedly in talks to acquire multiple other studios in addition to Bethesda.
When it was announced that Microsoft had bought Bethesda, it was shocking to say the least. While Microsoft is known for acquiring multiple third-party and indie studios to work exclusively for Xbox in the past, the publisher had seemingly never bought a studio as huge or as prominent as Bethesda. Now, it seems Microsoft has no intention of stopping with just Bethesda.
According to a video by BWWMediaGroup's executive editor Brad Sams, Microsoft and other big tech brands have been potentially looking to acquire multiple studios. While he says these discussions have occurred behind closed doors, some big names reportedly approaching different development studios outside of Microsoft include Amazon, Google, Sony, and EA.
If this video is any indication, it seems likely that Microsoft and other brands may be acquiring multiple video game studios in the near future. It's impossible to tell which ones will be acquired by which company at the moment, though given Bloober Team's upcoming game The Medium is releasing exclusively on the Xbox Series X/S and PC, that team may be one candidate Microsoft could acquire depending on how well the game performs.
However, despite Bloober Team's impressive track record, the studio is arguably not on the same scale as Bethesda. It would certainly be crazy if Microsoft were to acquire another big name studio like Rockstar Games, but right now there doesn't seem to be any evidence that points to this. Then again, there weren't a lot of signs that pointed to Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda last year either.
It will be interesting to see what companies acquire which studios in the future, if at all. Back in November 2020, Sony was seemingly discussing the acquisition of Bluepoint Games, the development studio behind the numerous PlayStation remasters such as Demon's Souls, Shadow of the Colossus, and Uncharted. With no official word or evidence from anyone employed by Microsoft, Sony, or any of the other big companies named, the gaming community will just have to wait and see where things go from here.