EU to decide the fate of Microsoft’s $7.5 billion Bethesda acquisition by March 5

The EU’s antitrust organization will be ruling on Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media by March 5, reports Reuters.

The Redmond giant first filed for regulatory approval on January 29, a filing on the European Commission website shows. The EU officials can either choose to approve the deal during this preliminary review period or choose to launch a more extensive investigation into the acquisition if they find something concerning.

Microsoft announced its intention to acquire ZeniMax Media back in September. Having the renowned publisher under its umbrella of first-party Xbox Game Studios would give Microsoft control over beloved franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, Prey, and more. Bethesda is currently working on The Elder Scrolls VI, a new IP called Starfield, and publishing an Indiana Jones game with Wolfenstein developer MachineGames leading development.

Microsoft in 2018 also bought another Fallout alum, Obsidian Entertainment, the makers of The Outer Worlds. Obsidian is currently working on a fantasy RPG called Avowed, with a strong resemblance to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series.