"Microsoft's Acquisition of Bethesda Saved Xbox from Losing Starfield to PlayStation"

Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed during an FTC hearing that there was a chance Starfield would skip the Xbox platform entirely, and the company felt it had to "secure content to remain viable in the business." Microsoft paid $7.5 billion for ZeniMax Media, which owns Bethesda, and is relying on Starfield to be the biggest first-party hit of 2023. Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo ended up being timed PlayStation exclusives for a year even following the Bethesda acquisition, as Microsoft promised to honour Sony's existing deals for both titles.