ethesda Softworks (The Elder Scrolls series, Fallout 3) and Splash Damage (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars) have announced that the two companies are forming what they’re calling a “long-term development partnership.” Further details will be coming in the coming months.

 “Bethesda Softworks has repeatedly been responsible for outstanding games as both publisher and developer.” said Paul Wedgwood, owner and creative director of Splash Damage. “Both of our studios share a passion for creating great games, and we’re confident that this partnership will result in even greater experiences for gamers. We’re really looking forward to working with Bethesda.”

“This could not be a more perfect fit,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “We are extremely impressed with Splash Damage and the quality titles they produce. They are highly creative and innovative, and have demonstrated a high level of dedication to their projects. We are confident that gamers everywhere will be thrilled with the offerings from this collaboration.” 

It’s certainly a peculiar partnership. While both companies have demonstrated their development chops, winning numerous awards and critical acclaim, there’s not a lot of overlap between their two libraries. Splash Damage brings a wealth of experience developing multiplayer shooters, and Bethesda has shown that they’re capable of creating believable worlds. If upcoming projects truly manage to play to each company’s respective strengths, we could be seeing some amazing things from this partnership.