There's going to be one less launcher to deal with on the PC platform soon. Bethesda is throwing in the towel in regards to its Bethesda.net games launcher for PC, with plans to shut the launcher down completely by this May. Originally launched in 2016, the Bethesda.net launcher was the company's alternative to Steam, where they would begin to exclusively launch games such as Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls: Legends solely on their platform for PC. It wasn't long before Bethesda made its way back to Steam in mid-2019, bringing with it titles like DOOM Eternal and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, though it still kept Bethesda.net updated and continued to release games on it.

If you used Bethesda.net for any games, Bethesda will be offering an account migration, where you can transfer your games from the platform and own them on Steam instead. You'll still need a Bethesda.net account to play your games on Steam, but you will no longer need Bethesda.net's launcher itself. Saves will be transferrable as well, according to the company, letting players move their game progress and modpacks into the Steam versions, with the single exception of Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

The account migration will begin in early April, and Bethesda will inform those with Bethesda.net accounts when the time comes.

Source

 

[the_randomizer]

Great news. Never used that launcher but at this point, most of the stuff that's been there is already on Steam.


If you're referring to DOOM Eternal's Denuvo Anti-Cheat, that was already removed after a few weeks.

Let's hope they don't pull that shit again with their games going to Steam.

 

[HellGhast]

..I wonder if this was a call on their part or a call on big bad granddaddy Microsoft's part seeing that the launcher was probably an excess that could be trimmed out of costs...

Definitely a cost cutting measure by micro$oft.

 

[tech3475]

After the buyout I expected to see the launcher closed, but I’m surprised they’re moving the purchases over to Steam.

Maybe they thought people had suffered enough?

 

[SG854]

This is how they will all end up and steam will be a monopoly

 

[Guacaholey]

ROCKSTAR/EPIC/UBI next please.

And please make GOG the Classic/ GOOD OLD GAMES again,so clean up and transfer new(er) Games also to Steam.

There's literally nothing wrong with GOG offering more recent DRM free titles.

 

[Bladexdsl]

they all come back to gabe sooner or later

 

[Xzi]

This is how they will all end up and steam will be a monopoly

In terms of a PC gaming storefront/launcher that actually sets user experience and user-facing features as its number one priority, Steam has been a monopoly for well over a decade. It's certainly not Valve's fault that all their competition half-asses everything they do. The perception of Valve would also be a lot more negative if they were going around buying up studios for exclusives, but instead they're just letting developers/publishers come to the realization that Steam is where the customers are for themselves.

Bethesda's PC launcher was the silliest of them all. There were like 5 games, and they made some mods exclusive to their launcher. Glad they came to their senses and came crawling back to Steam.

Next up: the battle.net launcher, which also has only like ten games.

 

[Something whatever]

Good

 

[Alexander1970]

There's literally nothing wrong with GOG offering more recent DRM free titles.

G ood O ld G ames
That is the Point.

The main Focus should be again (as GOG started) on classic,old DOS and Windows 3.11/95 Games - there are 1000s and 1000s left to "convert" for running under actual Windows Versions.

 

[1NOOB]

there is a bethesda launcher ?! xD

 

[JonJaded]

Honestly, Bethesda's store was the least egrious of all launchers. It wasn't amazing, but it still ran better than steam/epic/ubi. And not only that, games launched on both their launcher and steam.

They probably looked at the numbers and came the the conclusion that that they weren't making enough from their own launcher over steam to warrant the maintenance and hosting required to keep their launcher up.

Admittly though, I kinda wish they gave the option for their games to also be on Epic too, just for a little more challenge.

 

[AkiraKurusu]

Honestly, Bethesda's store was the least egrious of all launchers. It wasn't amazing, but it still ran better than steam/epic/ubi. And not only that, games launched on both their launcher and steam.

They probably looked at the numbers and came the the conclusion that that they weren't making enough from their own launcher over steam to warrant the maintenance and hosting required to keep their launcher up.

Admittly though, I kinda wish they gave the option for their games to also be on Epic too, just for a little more challenge.

Epic? Seriously? That incomplete disaster of a storefront, best known for snatching exclusivity agreements?
Yeah, no thanks.

 

[JonJaded]

Epic? Seriously? That incomplete disaster of a storefront, best known for snatching exclusivity agreements?
Yeah, no thanks.

I said an option. Better than just folding to one launcher. People could pick if they wanted to go to epic or steam when moving their library. It wouldn't even be much of a problem for them considering they've been multi platform for ages.

 

[ZeroFX]

Next up: rockstar games, uplay and epic.

Steam is not consumer friendly. GOG is.

LMAO

 

[DarknessPlay3r]

YES!!!! DIE!!

I agree competition is good. Which is why we need more store fronts like GoG and less like Epic.

This on the other hand deserves to die in the dumpster fire which is currently (and has always been) consuming Fallout 76...

 

[Plazorn]

Huh? Bethsaida had a launcher? (Things you don't know when you are a console gamer)

 

[Snintendog]

I said an option. Better than just folding to one launcher. People could pick if they wanted to go to epic or steam when moving their library. It wouldn't even be much of a problem for them considering they've been multi platform for ages.

look Desura was more Feature Complete than Epic is...They had a cart and Scroll bars and a search at launch they also had games.

 

[DuoForce]

Good riddance

 

[Tsukiru]

Probably not all of them will turn out like this, but man some launchers are just a hassle rather than a worthwhile competition. While I don't use it, at least Epic provides more varied exclusives than the range of the Bethesda Launcher.

 

[ut2k4master]

G ood O ld G ames
That is the Point.

they changed their name ages ago, it doesnt stand for that anymore. but why do you care if they offer newer games too? old ones are still added constantly