In a recent interview at Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard explained that the majority of the team is now wholeheartedly focused on The Elder Scrolls 6. It has been almost eight years since the game was unveiled, but we still have almost no idea what we’re looking at with the first numbered installation in the series since 2011.
Todd Howard also spoke about the inherent differences between Fallout, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls, which he describes as being ‘so different’ from one another. In one line, he referred to every game Bethesda Game Studios has made as being sequels of one another, in a way.
He’s Talking About Their Development Chain
In an open-table interview at Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard confirmed that almost everyone at the firm (or at least in that building) is now engaged on The Elder Scrolls 6. It’s Bethesda’s next big thing after Starfield, which is getting a major upgrade in April, along with a PlayStation 5 release.
Talking about the evolution of Bethesda, Howard explained that each new game the team makes is like a fresh iteration on the previous title. With each new release, learnings are carried over, technology evolves, and, in his words, ‘the franchise is the studio.’ Every time Bethesda Game Studios makes a new title, it’s like a fresh release in the Bethesda series.
We feel we’re in a really good place with these franchises. Obviously, we’re around Fallout stuff as well, and we feel good about that. The trick is still we have three big audiences, and in some ways, three big franchises – and in a lot of ways, the franchise is the studio. Skyrim is somewhat the sequel to Fallout 3. Fallout 4 is somewhat our follow-up to Skyrim.
That being said, you could assume that the team saw Starfield as the sequel to Fallout 4 (if you ignore Fallout 76 in between the two, which you shouldn’t). We can then say that Starfield is the precursor to The Elder Scrolls 6, and that is the opener to Fallout 5, whenever that surfaces.
They’re very different vibes, and they’re different vibes to develop.
Bethesda Game Studios is in pretty good shape right now, thanks to these franchises. The Elder Scrolls 6 is one of the most anticipated games around, the Fallout TV show is doing bits, and Fallout 76 continues to evolve as one of the best live-service shooters in the business.
And, of course, Starfield is about to get a major overhaul.
What’s your favorite Bethesda Game Studios title from the last twenty years? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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