Microsoft will merge ZeniMax with their new ‘Vault’ subsidiary

Microsoft announced their intention to purchase Bethesda parent company ZeniMax last September. Currently, they’re still in the process of getting permission to take ZeniMax’s hand in corporate marriage from all the necessary legal and legislative bodies and all. As part of that process, Microsoft are apparently planning to create a new company called “Vault” that ZeniMax will be merged with. It may be more of a business thing than a name that ever gets used but hey, congrats on the nod, Vault Boy.

The name appears in a notification to the European Commission, whose permission Microsoft have requested to proceed with their planned $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax and its subsidiaries including Bethesda Game Studios, iD Software, Arkane, and others.

“The concentration is accomplished by way of a merger pursuant to which a newly created Microsoft subsidiary (‘Vault’) will be merged with and into ZeniMax,” reads the relevant part of the notice.

For now, it’s not clear whether Vault will be a company we ever hear about, or whether it will just be another name beneath Microsoft’s in their corporate structure. How’d they choose “Vault”? Likely it just makes a snappier company name than whatever Elder Scrolls-y word they might have come up with. It does make me a bit curious about what ideas went up on that dry erase board but ah well, Vault it is.

Shortly after their original purchase announcement, Microsoft confirmed they intend to honor the planned PS5 timed exclusivity for Deathloop and GhostWire: Tokyo. The’ve also said they want to buy more studios, making them another one of the giant companies gobblig up game studios and further consolidating the games industry.

Ta, VG24/7.