Bethesda reiterates Deathloop’s PS5 console exclusivity

Bethesda has reiterated that Arkane’s upcoming shooter Deathloop remains a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, despite Microsoft’s acquisition of the company.

The latest issue of Game Informer magazine – which features Deathloop as its cover story – includes the statement from a Bethesda spokesperson which suggests that Arkane Studios isn’t currently working on an Xbox version of the game.

“The acquisition hasn’t affected day-to-day development of Deathloop, which we’re developing exclusively for PlayStation 5 on console and also PC,” the statement reads.

After announcing last September that it intended to acquire ZeniMax Media and its game publisher Bethesda Softworks for $7.5 billion, Microsoft finally confirmed yesterday that the deal had been completed.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer also confirmed in a statement that “some” Bethesda games would be exclusive to Xbox and PC in the future. However, Xbox has also previously said it would honour Bethesda’s two timed PS5 exclusives, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Announced at E3 2019, Deathloop is a first-person shooter from Arkane Lyon, the team behind Dishonored, scheduled for release for PC and PS5 on May 21, 2021.

“Deathloop is a murder puzzle where you play an assassin trapped in a time loop,” game director Dinga Bakaba explained in a gameplay trailer released last week.

Players take on the role of assassin Colt, who wakes up on the lawless party island of Blackreef each day to find he’s the subject of an island-wide manhunt.

To escape the loop, players have to kill a group of eight targets called the Visionaries before the day resets.

The most powerful Visionary is the “clever” and “unpredictable” Julianna, who will be playable in an optional multiplayer element that lets players invade other people’s games.

According to a GamesBeat report published on Monday, Microsoft will publish a video presentation on Thursday answering questions about its acquisition of Bethesda.

Phil Spencer said this week that Bethesda would share more about what’s next for its teams later this year. “In the meantime, to properly celebrate this special moment, we are bringing additional Bethesda games into Xbox Game Pass later this week,” he confirmed.

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In a separate statement written by Bethesda’s marketing boss Pete Hines, the company echoed Spencer’s comments that it would continue operating as it had previously.

“First, let me say that we’re not making any landmark announcements or changes right now,” Hines wrote. “As we’ve all shared, the expectation is that Bethesda Softworks and our studios will continue as we have in the past, just with more support and resources than we’ve ever had before.

“Obviously, Game Pass has been an important initiative for Xbox, and we’ll be working on putting even more of our games into Game Pass than ever before. Beyond that? Stay tuned, we’re just getting started together.”