Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda Softworks is an American video game publisher founded in 1986 by Christopher Weaver. Initially known for early PC titles, the company grew into a major publisher best known for long-running franchises such as The Elder Scrolls (Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) and, later, Bethesda-published entries in the Fallout series. Bethesda operates both publishing and online services under the bethesda.net brand, including digital distribution, community features, and mod/creation platforms (e.g., Creation Club). Its in-house development studios include Bethesda Game Studios (primary developer of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout single-player titles) and historically it has published works from other subsidiary studios under the ZeniMax umbrella.

Bethesda was a founding label of ZeniMax Media and, in 2021, ZeniMax (including Bethesda Softworks and its studios) was acquired by Microsoft and integrated into Xbox Game Studios. The company remains a high-profile publisher in th...