Bethesda Launcher To Shut Down In May; Games Will Transfer To Steam

If you're one of those people who are always saying, "We have too many launchers, I wish every game was just on Steam," then soon you'll get (part of) your wish. Bethesda Softworks announced today that it will be closing the Bethesda Launcher and migrating its functionality to Steam, bringing games like The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, and more to their permanent home on Steam.

The first thing the developer wants you to know is the migration "will include your game library and Wallet – meaning you will not lose anything from your Bethesda.net account." Your purchases via the Bethesda Launcher -- including cash shop currency for Bethesda's MMOs -- will transfer, though some save files will require a manual transfer. Bethesda will make available detailed instructions on exactly what you need to do in early April, and at some point in May, you will no longer be able to launch games via the Bethesda Launcher.

In addition to the FAQ on the page announcing the transfer, there's a separate, Fallout 76-specific FAQ that mostly boils down to "All your progress and currency will be maintained." One significant item is that, if you have a Fallout 1st membership, you'll receive all the Atoms you would have normally received for the remainder of your membership all at once and your subscription will not automatically renew.

So why is Bethesda taking this step? Its games have been on Steam for a long time, but it's one of the few companies (along with Blizzard and Ubisoft, to name a couple) that would seem to be big enough to maintain its own launcher and see significant income without having to pay a cut to Valve. Maybe there's not as much business going through the Bethesda Launcher as we thought -- or perhaps its new(-ish) owner, Microsoft, is calling for this change, for reasons that are as yet unclear.