It’s been a few months since Microsoft acquired all of ZeniMax Media’s studios to the tune of $7.5 billion back in September of last year. There hasn’t been much news on the front outside of Phil Spencer and Todd Howard both assuring fans that there won’t be major changes in ZeniMax’s cross-platform strategies (while Microsoft’s own CFO kind of subverted that a bit with his own words), but the revelation was big enough that it won our award for Biggest Surprise that year.
Recently, the buyout has cleared two particularly large hurdles as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially approved the acquisition this past Thursday after a close investigation of both companies and the acquisition itself. The European Commission has also approved the deal this past Friday.
It is important to note that the buyout has still not been officially completed necessarily, but approval by both major trade bodies in the US and EU does effectively pave the way for final formalities to be cleared and the deal to be completed soon.
