What is ZeniMax Media and which studios does it own?

ZeniMax Media is an American video game holding company founded in 1999 that acts as a parent organization for several prominent game publishers and developers. It was acquired by Microsoft in March 2021 for $8.1 billion and is operated under the Xbox division. Its portfolio includes major development studios such as Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, MachineGames, Obsidian Entertainment, and ZeniMax Online Studios.

What we know

• ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by Christopher Weaver and Robert A. Altman to serve as the parent company for Bethesda Softworks. [2]
• Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media for $8.1 billion in March 2021 and integrated it into the Xbox division. [2]
• The company owns several well-known development studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, MachineGames, Obsidian Entertainment, and ZeniMax Online Studios. [2]
• ZeniMax Online Studios specializes in massively multiplayer online games and developed The Elder Scrolls Online. [3]

Where to go next

• what followedHow did Microsoft's acquisition change Xbox?
• a case in pointBethesda Game Studios
• the bigger pictureVideo game holding companies
• whereRockville, Maryland
• whoChristopher Weaver
• an unexpected connectionHow did the artist behind Half-Life 2 shape ZeniMax games?Viktor Antonov, the art director renowned for designing City 17 in Valve's Half-Life 2, also contributed design work to multiple ZeniMax Media-owned titles like Wolfenstein: The New Order, Fallout 4, and Dishonored.

Sources

• [1]ZeniMax Media (Wikidata Q189557) · CC0 1.0
• [2]ZeniMax Media · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]ZeniMax Online Studios · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Viktor Antonov (artist) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Bethesda Game Studios · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. What lies beneath the city of Jackson, Mississippi?
2. /What was the Ottoman Caliphate?
3. /What is ZeniMax Media and which studios does it own?