While the Internet is debating whether Microsoft’s 70-billion dollar blockbuster of Activision Blizzard’s buyout is a good thing or a sign of a dangerous future on Windows Computer Program, Microsoft’s second big-stake acquisition has just released the news that many will welcome: Bethesda’s launcher has been terminated. This year the Bethesda.net Launcher is being retired, it was stated in Bethesda’s announcement. The company added that you’ll be able to transfer the titles you played, as well as your Wallet, to your Steam account starting in early April.
The post deals with the details of how the transition will happen, from buying to save games to the state of the virtual currency. As we said, the relocation will begin in April, and the Bethesda launcher will be permanently shut down in May. Presumably, this news won’t impact many of you, but if it does – well, you shouldn’t have used the Bethesda launcher in the first place.
Bethesda Debuted at a Time When Every Publisher Wanted to Have Their Own Platform- Windows Computer Program
The Bethesda launcher was released in 2018, at a time when every prominent gaming company was looking to abandon Steam and create their own service. For the first few days of Fallout 76, the Bethesda launcher was the only platform available. The launcher couldn’t even establish itself correctly, and the game was just as terrifying as the Launcher itself.
Fallout 76 failed to run on PCs of numerous gamers. Chances to remove the beta version, which took up a lot of space after it was installed, were from slim to none. Creating a new account was a Byzantine pain. Purchasing games required launching from the launcher on Bethesda’s website, then closing and reopening the launcher so it could see your purchase. There was no list of friends for the whole client, and actually making friends with someone was a hassle (this had to be repeated for every game you wanted to play). And despite all the mischief, Bethesda didn’t allow a refund for its new launcher.
The harsh assessments of the then-new Bethesda launcher indicated that if publishers didn’t want to put their games on Steam, that was fine, but they had better ensure that their replacement launcher reached a basic level of quality, and at the time of launch, Bethesda couldn’t reach the ‘crown’ even with active V.A.T.S.
The Poor Run of Fallout 76 Deterred Most From Using This Launcher
Has it ever been better? Honestly, who knows. Running Fallout 76 in such a terrible state on such a terrible platform meant for many that it would never lay its hands on the Bethesda launcher again (although Fallout 76 has improved). Following Microsoft’s takeover, Bethesda continued to produce titles on Steam and, subsequently, on Xbox Game Pass, and these were far superior locations for enjoying Bethesda’s diverse collection of games, such as Elder Scrolls, Doom, Deathloop, Dishonored, Fallout, and others.
You’ll soon have no choice but to buy Bethesda games in one of these shop windows. You should’ve done it already anyway. Despite being the publisher who started the whole craze for separating from the platform with Origin, EA (whose FIFA franchise gains more and more competitiveness among eSports players and is very sought-after on online bookies at Bookmaker-Expert.com) itself has recently started re-publishing its games on Steam and working with the Xbox Game Pass. Nowadays that Microsoft, Epic, and Valve are battling it out for the interest of PC gamers (not to mention Itch.io and GOG as killer options), hopefully, the era of publisher-specific PC showcases will attract a ‘bloody’ and long overdue closure.
Well done, Bethesda launcher (we’re ironic). We won’t miss you. Good luck to you!
