Microsoft and Activision have filed their own conclusions in opposition to the US Federal Trade Commission, which is attempting to get a preliminary injunction to block the massive merger worth $68.7 billion.
As reported by Florian Mueller on Twitter, the document includes a number of interesting tidbits for gamers. Arguably the most intriguing finding is that Xbox (Microsoft) apparently expects ‘several future ZeniMax titles to ship on PlayStation and/or Nintendo platforms’.
Following the acquisition of parent company ZeniMax and all its subsidiaries for around $7.5 billion, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer did say only ‘some’ new titles would be exclusive to PC and Xbox consoles.
However, after the confirmation that Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush, Arkane Austin’s Redfall, and Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield would indeed only appear on PC and Xbox, some fans of ZeniMax titles had assumed that would be the case for all upcoming games in development at the company’s various subsidiaries. While the lawyers are obviously trying to make a case on behalf of Microsoft, there must be some truth to it.
Looking at the upcoming lineup, it is possible the Quake II remaster that appeared today on South Korean rating boards could be multiplatform. Other options include the Indiana Jones game in development at MachineGames (with the help of Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield director Todd Howard as the Executive Producer); Lucasfilm and Disney might have requested to make the game for the wider possible audience.
We’re overdue for an id Software announcement, too. The aforementioned Quake II remaster is likely to be a side project, and whatever they’re doing next could be going multiplatform. We might learn more about id Software’s plans at QuakeCon 2023, coming back in person after the COVID years and scheduled to take place in Grapevine, Texas, between August 10 and 13.
The next projects in development at Tango Gameworks and Arkane are probably very early, so it’s hard to speculate. On the other hand, Roundhouse Studios still hasn’t released a game of its own since joining ZeniMax, although they did help with Redfall.
Zenimax Online Studios could also be working on a multiplatform game. Its new IP is likely an online title, and it would certainly benefit from having the largest possible user base, with cross-play and cross-progression enabled.
Of course, what PlayStation gamers would really like from ZeniMax is to get The Elder Scrolls VI, although Microsoft might wish to keep that as a PC and Xbox exclusive. We’ll see how it pans out, but it’s not over for ZeniMax games on other consoles.
