The Best Studios Owned By Bethesda

Summary

Bethesda's products offer action-packed experiences and grand adventures, captivating fans.
Studios like ZeniMax Online, id Software, and MachineGames have crafted notable games under Bethesda.
Bethesda Game Studios remains a key player in delivering open-world RPGs like Skyrim and Fallout.

Fans love Bethesda and its products, even if the company has undone some of its goodwill at times. Still, it's hard to resist Todd Howard and his promises, with many of the company's products allowing players to enjoy action-packed experiences and grand adventures that are incredibly compelling.

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By Matthew Whitehurst

Seeing the company transform from a fledgling studio into one of the biggest developers and publishers in the video game landscape has been a great ride for long-time fans. During this journey, Bethesda has acquired and created various companies that have done a great job of pushing unique products and letting fans enjoy a bevy of excellent titles.

5 ZeniMax Online Studios

As The Name Suggests, This Studio Develops Bethesda's Multiplayer-Driven Experiences

Notable Game(s) Developed: The Elder Scrolls Online

Developing an MMO is no mean feat, and it's easy to see why Bethesda decided to create a whole studio to deal with the development, launch, and upkeep of The Elder Scrolls Online. Zenimax Online Studios faced a rough time at launch, especially with many people being underwhelmed by the MMORPG back when it first came out.

Thankfully, a string of updates and content packs have ensured that fans who love The Elder Scrolls universe will get a kick out of playing TESO. The environments are beautiful, and some of the locations do a great job of appealing to most fans' nostalgia for older titles in the series. Zenimax may have only developed one game, but the dedication to perfecting the fan experience has already helped them stand out as a promising developer that is only just getting started.

4 Arkane Studios

Masters Of The Immersive Sim Genre

Notable Game(s) Developed: Dishonored, Prey, Dishonored 2, Deathloop

Arkane Studios is hailed by many as the modern kings of the immersive sim genre, and it's a shame that the bulk of their titles haven't enjoyed the success they deserve despite their incredible gameplay loop. Games like Prey, Dishonored, and Deathloop show that this studio has a ton of talent, and they will hopefully provide fans with one of the best superhero games around when Marvel's Blade launches.

However, the dud that was Redfall did mar Arkane's reputation considerably, causing the studio responsible for the brilliant Prey to be shuttered. It's a shame that the studio was forced to develop something they had no interest in, only to be punished for the same. Still, fans can only hope that Arkane Lyon will power through this adversity and show gamers why big-budget immersive sims deserve a chance in the gaming landscape.

3 id Software

Developed Some Intense Modern FPS Games Under Bethesda

Notable Game(s) Developed: Doom (2016), Doom Eternal, Doom: The Dark Ages

The studio responsible for the genre-defining Doom has enjoyed a steady time under Bethesda. 2016's Doom was a reboot for the ages that fans loved, while Doom Eternal expanded this gameplay and was fun to play in its own right. The latter may not have generated as much buzz, but fans are hoping that the release of Doom: The Dark Ages will remind players why id Software is a master of their craft.

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By Ritwik Mitra

The focus on old-school FPS gameplay, coupled with modern developments, has helped id Software's games stand out in the modern landscape. The FPS genre was in dire need of a revolution when 2016's Doom came out, and the developer has never looked back since.

2 MachineGames

The Action-Packed Gameplay And Memorable Stories Are In A Class Of Their Own

Notable Game(s) Developed: Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

MachineGames surprised everyone with their work on Wolfenstein: The New Order, letting fans enjoy a challenging FPS that didn't shy away from integrating an excellent story despite the series' B-movie roots. However, the games that followed had some issues. The New Colossus was a bit too heavy-handed in the story department, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood's failures led many fans to believe that MachineGames had lost the spark that had made them so special in the first place.

Doubts flared up once again when it was revealed that this studio was working on a licensed Indiana Jones game, only for concerns to drop away in no time as fans were treated to one of the best first-person action-adventure games of all time. The Great Circle looks stunning, boasts memorable cinematics, and allowed MachineGames to step back into the limelight as developers who clearly know what they're doing.

1 Bethesda Game Studios

The Main Studio That Develops Amazing Open-World Bethesda RPGs

Notable Game(s) Developed: The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

It would be impossible to talk about the parent company's best studios without mentioning the entire reason why the name Bethesda has become so popular. The release of The Elder Scrolls: Arena sparked the embers of a fire that would roar in the gaming industry with the release of hit titles like Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.

Bethesda Game Studios didn't stop there, letting fans enjoy a fully open-world take on the Fallout universe with the release of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. Starfield may have divided fan opinions, but even this title shows Bethesda's magic and ensures players will have a great time as long as they love this developer's expansive RPGs.