US regulators seem to have approved the deal.

Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media is a major deal in every sense of the word, so it’s not surprising that it’s taking some time for it to be formally approved. Currently, the deal is in that approval process, and it seems it’s now come another step closer to its closure.

As recently spotted by Klobrille on Twitter, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission recently published a “notice of effectiveness” for the acquisition, which means refers to a notice by the seller regarding transfer of exclusive control and administrative rights to the purchaser.

Meanwhile, Providence Equity, the main stakeholder of ZeniMax, also mentions the company’s investment status as “realized” on its portfolio page. ZeniMax also is no longer listed as one of Providence’s current active companies on its website.

Recent reports have suggested that Microsoft will be holding an event of sorts this month not long after the acquisition’s completion to discuss the future of Bethesda and the two companies collectively following the closure of this deal. Read more on that through here.

I’d need to get more input from an actual lawyer and I won’t pretend I have an idea about any of this, but I think the
US Securities and Exchange Commission just published a “notice of effectiveness” in regards to the Bethesda acquisition.https://t.co/JeEqpG2aoQ pic.twitter.com/clRkQNntAF

— Klobrille (@klobrille) March 5, 2021