Microsoft Buys Bethesda: EVERY Studio Xbox Now Owns
4. Machine Games
Notable Games: Wolfenstein series (2014 -)
This Swedish studio is made up of a handful of ex-Starbreeze Studios members who went indie in 2009. A year later, Bethesda offered them the chance to reboot id Software's classic Wolfenstein IP, with an offer to buy the studio as well.
From that transaction, Wolfenstein: The New Order was born, an incredible and (finally) successful reboot of the franchise. It offered retro thrills, while daringly moving the series into new territory. It also surprised many with a gripping story and a likeable protagonist at its center.
Afterward, their Wolfenstein output has been uneven, if never boring. The barmy sequel, The New Colossus, was good if not better than The New Order, while ventures in VR (Cyberpilot) and online co-op (Youngblood) underwhelmed the fanbase.
Still, one imagines this stellar developer of FPS games will be a firm fit in the house of Xbox. As long as Microsoft lets them retain their trademark freedom to prioritize story over multiplayer... this could be a great match indeed.