ZeniMax Acquire Arkane Studios News

ZeniMax Media Inc., the parent company of Bethesda Softworks and id Software, today announced that it has brought a further team to the fold with the acquisition of the French developer Arkane Studios.

The announcement took place at QuakeCon and confirms that Arkane’s founder and CEO Raphael Colantonio will serve as president alongside Deus Ex’s Harvey Smith at the outfit’s Texas studio.

Arkane Studios previously created the critically acclaimed Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, along with helping out during the development of Bioshock 2.

“This is an exciting moment for Arkane. After 11 years of independent development, we couldn’t think of a better publishing partner,” said Colantonio. “We share so many creative values. Joining the ZeniMax family will allow us to grow stronger while staying true to the games we love.”

"We are very pleased to be able to bring another experienced, high quality developer like Arkane to the ZeniMax group of studios,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media. "Raphael and his talented team have earned a reputation for creating immersive, innovative games which enhances our ability to deliver AAA quality games to our many fans."