The ink is dry and the truck of dollar bills has been dumped outside of the office: Bethesda is officially owned by Microsoft now. So, what does this mean for us PlayStation fans? Well, it’s been a lingering question for well over six months, and we may finally get some answers this week, as a broadcast is purportedly planned for Thursday, 11th March.
That tidbit, among intense speculation online, has been shared by VentureBeat – but it’s worth noting that, at the time of typing, it’s still yet to be officially announced. The expectation is that this won’t be a games showcase – that will be saved for later in the summer – so this is likely to be more of a welcoming.
However, the aforementioned website speculates that we may learn more about Bethesda’s plans for the future, which presumably would include whether it intends to go fully exclusive or not. The situation is complicated by the existence of console exclusives like Deathloop, so it’s perfectly possible the publisher continues to dance around the topic.
Potentially, this could be a very bitter break-up for PlayStation fans, who’ve enjoyed franchises like Fallout, Dishonored, and The Elder Scrolls on the PS3 and PS4 for years. We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens, but in situations like this, it’s probably best to expect the worst – there’s a good chance the future of those franchises lies elsewhere now.