Bethesda has been roped into the Activision Blizzard acquisition controversy. The FTC has argued that Microsoft's treatment of Bethesda games is a sign of its intentions with Activision's library--for example, Starfield and Redfall are now Xbox exclusives despite original plans to also launch on PlayStation. Xbox has claimed that things will be different with IPs like Call of Duty, but this has sparked frustration among Bethesda executives.
"I'm confused," senior vice president of global marketing and communications Pete Hines said. "Is the below not the opposite of what we were just asked (told) to do with our own titles? What's the difference."
The "below" in question is Microsoft's public vow to keep Call of Duty on platforms beyond Xbox; "We have committed to Sony that we will also make [Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles] available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love [...] We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business."
Hines added, "Did anyone at Xbox think about giving us a heads-up on this? Todd's going to DICE in a couple weeks, you don't think a journo might find him and press him on why the below is ok for COD or any Activision Blizzard games, but not TES6 or Starfield?"
There has been a lot of confusion about Bethesda's upcoming games. We know that Starfield and Indiana Jones are now Xbox exclusives, but that leaves Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, ID Software's next game, and Arkane's future titles up in the air. Based on its immediate releases post-acquisition, many assumed that every Bethesda game would be locked to Xbox, but when asked by FTC lawyers in court last week, Hines claims that each game is being handled on a case-by-case basis.
To boot, while Microsoft claims that it wants to ensure that "Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love", an email from 2019 surfaced last week in which Xbox Games Studio head Matt Booty allegedly stated that he wants to put PlayStation out of business. This is likely because Xbox believes it has "lost the console wars", despite also saying that they are just a social construct. There are a lot of conflicting reports surfacing as a result of the FTC hearing.