As we reported yesterday, the highly anticipated acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft in a whopping $7.5 billion deal successfully went through regulatory agencies, leaving everyone waiting for the official announcement from the two parties.

　　That came today, with Microsoft's Head of Gaming Phil Spencer revealing that new Bethesda games will join Xbox Game Pass later this week and that some upcoming games (no clue on which ones yet, unfortunately) will indeed be exclusive to Xbox and PC platforms.

　　For its part, Bethesda has just welcomed the news with an emotional retrospective video titled 'Here's to the Journey'. 2021 marks the company's thirty-fifth anniversary since its foundation, after all, and the video (which you can watch below) shows some images of key Bethesda developers taken over the many years of developing video games and attending game conventions (when those still existed, you know, before COVID).

　　Here's to the journey. The unforgettable adventures, the epic quests, the decades of discoveries. We found each other through a shared passion for games. More than just a company, a family, with an unwavering belief in people and what we could make together. For the last 35 years, we've grown from a small basement in Maryland to studios and offices around the world.

　　Together, we brought our dreams to life, worlds that inspire creativity and chaos. Worlds where players are free to leave their own mark. From snow-covered peaks to the fiery depths of Hell to post-apocalyptic wastelands and beyond.

　　So here's to the games we've made and to the games we'll make tomorrow. Here's to staying true to the vision that inspired it all, a legacy built with love, respect, and a dedication to excellence. And here's to you for being there with us through it all.

　　A new chapter has begun. Here's to the journey just getting started.

　　The next Bethesda game to be released is Arkane Lyon's Deathloop, which ironically will launch as a PC and PlayStation 5 exclusive because of a deal made prior to this acquisition.

　　Deathloop is out on May 21st, while Tango GameWorks' Ghostwire: Tokyo (also part of this timed exclusivity deal) is due in October this year. There are rumors of Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios' first new IP in 25 years, also launching this Fall, though they should be taken with a grain of salt for the time being.