The Microsoft acquisition of ZeniMax Media has been in the works for some time and will fully incorporate ZeniMax into Microsoft along with companies under ZeniMax such as Bethesda, Arkane, and id Software. Microsoft has had to prove along the way that it has not broken any laws concerning market monopolization or anti-trust practices, but Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition took another leap forward yesterday when the European Commission approved the acquisition with a statement claiming it would not "raise serious doubts as to its compatibility within the common market." Today, Microsoft's acquisition process is fully complete, and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer announced the news on Xbox's website.

Xbox Game Pass stands to benefit from the ZeniMax media acquisition primarily because of all the games it can now offer as a part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Bethesda has been the biggest name of the bunch, but games from various other companies may now join the service, including MachineGames, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios. Xbox Game Pass was trending on Twitter yesterday as fans discussed the Microsoft Bethesda acquisition and debated the implications of the merger, such as if future titles from the acquired companies will be Xbox exclusives. But for now, the completion of the acquisition comes with a guarantee of more Bethesda titles coming to Game Pass this week.

RELATED: Microsoft's Rumored Bethesda Event May Be Starfield's Time To Shine

Phil Spencer officially welcomed Bethesda to the Xbox team today in a short statement detailing the Bethesda acquisition and the future of the Bethesda/Microsoft relationship. He reiterated the commitment of Xbox to create a firm foundation for Bethesda to do its best work and outlined that this acquisition process has been the "next step in building an industry leading first-party studios team." He goes on to confirm that "some new titles in the future will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players," and that Xbox Game Pass is the best place to experience the new games.

With the announcement that some Bethesda games will be exclusive to Xbox, Spencer also announced that there will be more Bethesda games coming to Xbox Game Pass later this week. While Xbox has not yet announced which games will arrive, there are tons of potential titles. The ZeniMax acquisition covers a variety of franchises, including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Doom, among others.

Although some fans of these series may be worried about Xbox exclusivity for future games, Xbox is sticking to exclusivity deals already made with PlayStation and has been a bit more relaxed about allowing some of its games to thrive on other consoles. The much anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6 might still be coming to PlayStation, but until the Microsoft/Bethesda partnership proceeds and the companies begin to discuss more about future titles, this completed acquisition will raise some significant questions from gamers.

MORE: More Details About Microsoft Bethesda Presentation Revealed

Source: Xbox