Bethesda and ZeniMax Studios are going to change how they function as they obverse shifting of power within management. Following the promotion of Sarah Bond to Xbox President, Matt Booty was promoted to President of Game Content. Furthermore, Booty has also been appointed to supervise Bethesda, ZeniMax Studios, Activision Blizzard, and Xbox Game Studios.
Welcome to @LEGOFortnite! Let’s show you around pic.twitter.com/to5L2OG5i
— Xbox (@Xbox) December 20, 2023
After being appointed Matt Booty shared his words on working alongside the world’s biggest studios. In an exclusive memo shared by The Verge, the following was quoted by Booty:
We are delighted to welcome the talented game development teams from Activision Publishing, Blizzard, and King to our Game Studios and Content organization. Together with Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda, our studio organizations will continue our mission to build world-class games that entertain and inspire players and create lasting communities of dedicated fans.
In the same memo, it was mentioned that Jill Braff had been appointed as the Head of the ZeniMax and Bethesda Studios. It is stated that Braff honed her experience in the gaming and entertainment industry at major places like Nintendo, Sega, Glu Mobile, Home Shopping Network, and Warner Bros.
We’re excited to announce Marvel’s Blade is in development from Arkane Lyon, the award-winning studio behind Dishonored and DEATHLOOP. In collaboration with @MarvelGames, Marvel’s Blade is a mature, single-player, third-person game set in the heart of Paris. #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/i4F7oH5vys
— Bethesda (@bethesda) December 8, 2023
Jill Braff will take full lead of ZeniMax and Bestheda development team. And names like Todd Howard, the executive director has to report to her. Moreover, Todd Vaughn, Matt Firor, Paul Jensen, and Heather Cooper also meant to do the same after these management changes. Matt Booty has put his faith in Braff and believes her leadership qualities will benefit the organization altogether.
Matt Booty also endorsed ZeniMax and Bethesda Studios by mentioning the successful launch of Starfield. Booty believes that the studios are capable of creating exciting and innovative games in the industry, which are largely anticipated by fans. In the end, he mentioned that the next 18 months are great for Xbox as they have many projects in store.
Bobby Kotick to step down as Activision’s CEO by the end of the year
It has been officially announced that Bobby Kotick will be stepping down as Activision Blizzard CEO on December 29, 2023. Microsoft won’t be replacing executive positions at the company, but rather keep them under supervision. Matt Booty will be overseeing Mike Ybarra (Blizzard President), Rob Kostich (Activision Publishing President), and Thomas Tippl (Vice Chairman).
After the step-down of Kotick, the full Microsoft takeover will likely be complete. With Matt Booty taking up supervision on multiple studios, 2024 looks good for Xbox. Fans are eagerly waiting for the Call of Duty franchise to arrive in the Game Pass. However, fans have to be patient as news on it won’t be arriving before 2024.
It’s awesome to see anticipation building for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III. As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we’ve been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass.
While we…
— Activision Blizzard (@ATVI_AB) October 9, 2023
Moreover, it was thoroughly stated by Activision Blizzard on their Twitter that Diablo 4 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023), won’t arrive in the Game Pass this year. This was stated right before the closing of the acquisition deal in October 2023. Since no follow-ups were made, it can be assumed that the decision has remained the same.
