Bethesda boss Todd Howard has provided an update on The Elder Scrolls 6, promising it will return to the “classic style” of Bethesda RPGs after Fallout 76 and Starfield each took a “creative detour.”
Appearing on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Howard said Fallout 76 and Starfield were “a little bit of a creative detour from kind of that classic Elder Scrolls, Fallout, where you are exploring a world in a certain way.”
As reported by Kotaku, Howard added that players can expect Bethesda to get back to those roots with The Elder Scrolls 6. “We are coming back to that classic style that we’ve missed, that we know really, really well,” he said.
The games industry veteran added that Bethesda is known for a “style of game” and it’s what people expect from the studio. “There is a lot of innovation to be done there still, so when you step into a world you feel like you are experiencing it for the first time,” he said.
Howard did not give away any specifics about what Bethesda is doing with The Elder Scrolls 6 to help it stand out, but he said, “We’re happy with where [The Elder Scrolls 6] is headed right now.”
Finally, Howard revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6–and future titles–will run on Creation Engine 3, which is the newest version of the studio’s proprietary technology.
The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced all the way back in 2018, so fans have been waiting a long time. It was announced so early because fans were coming with “pitchforks and torches” inquiring about the game, according to former Bethesda veteran Bruce Nesmith.
Many assumed the early announcement of The Elder Scrolls 6 was in part to assure fans that the game was coming and to help recruit staff to work on the project (and the same logic could apply to the early reveal of Fallout 5).
Howard would later say he often wonders if it was the right thing to announce The Elder Scrolls 6 so early. “I have asked myself that a lot,” he said. “I don’t know. I probably would’ve announced it more casually.”
There are numerous unknowns about The Elder Scrolls 6, including its setting. A former developer said a setting for the game was decided upon years ago.
The majority of staff at Bethesda Game Studios is now working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and the studio uses AI in its development processes. The game has no release date yet, however.