Bethesda Softworks announced today that Robert A. Altman, founder, president and CEO of parent company Bethesda ZeniMax Media, has died.
“We are deeply saddened to tell you about the passing of Robert A. Altman, our founder and CEO,” the company announced on Twitter. “He was a true visionary, friend and believer in the spirit of the people and in the power of what they could accomplish together. He was an extraordinary leader and an even better human being.”
The company’s website bears a notice of Altman’s death, reading “CEO. Visionary. Friend. 1947-2021 ”. No cause of death was reported.
Altman started ZeniMax with Christopher Weaver in 1999 as a parent company for Bethesda Softworks, which Weaver started in the mid-1980s. The two fell and Weaver left the company in a few years, but Altman continued to run ZeniMax for decades.
During this time, ZeniMax developed the business beyond Bethesda, acquiring studios such as id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, MachineGames and Alpha Dog Studios.
In addition, it branched out with the creation of ZeniMax Online Studios and Roundhouse Studios (consisting of former Human Head developers).
Recently, ZeniMax woke up on the other side of a purchase transaction, accepting a $ 7.5 billion offer from Microsoft to join the Xbox studio system.