Prepare to say goodbye to Bethesda’s game launcher.
In May, the developer will retire the Bethesda.net launcher and prepare to allow customers to move their game libraries to Steam accounts.
“We’d like to thank you for your patience and reassure you that all of your games are secure,” Bethesda said on Tuesday.”
“Your job here is completed if you’re not using the Bethesda.net launcher to play PC games.”
This news affects gamers who obtained Bethesda games from the developer or through other third-party platforms beyond Steam. If you followed my instructions, the games should have been downloaded to your computer with the Bethesda.net launcher, which was first released in 2016. For example, Fallout 76 was initially released through Bethesda before being brought to Steam two years later.
For game libraries and digital wallets, Bethesda has assured a simple shift. “Many games will be migrated, with a few requiring some handiwork. You will still log in using your Bethesda.net account to play games that require it,” the developer clarified.
For customers who have purchased a Bethesda PC gaming bundle, the company will begin the migration process in early April. However, the studio plans to retain the Bethesda.net account system for existing and future titles.
Don’t worry if you don’t migrate your game library to Steam before May. “You will not lose access to your Library on Bethesda.net in May, only the ability to play them on the Launcher,” Bethesda announced.
The launcher was shut down by the game developer, which Microsoft recently purchased, and it did not reveal why. However, the platform allowed Bethesda to make more money since selling a game on Steam entails giving Valve 30% of the revenue. On the other hand, the Bethesda.net launcher has been criticized for being software bloatware.
For additional information on how the move will work, see Bethesda’s FAQ on the matter.“Once the migration to Steam is accessible, we will notify everyone and update this FAQ with the link where and how to migrate,” the developer added.