What move Bethesda will make next has been on a lot of gamers’ minds, and Todd Howard’s stance on remakes may have shaken up a lot of people’s expectations. Over the years, Bethesda has maintained prominence in the industry with major franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but those who are hoping for a remake down the road may end up disappointed.
The past few years have been quite busy for Bethesda. 2023 marked the release of the company’s first new IP in years, Starfield. While the game garnered mixed reviews, it still managed to be a commercial success. Much of the recent spotlight has been on Fallout, though. In 2024, Amazon Prime’s live-action Fallout show not only reignited interest from gamers but it also introduced the franchise to a whole new audience. Ever since the success of the Fallout show, rumors, leaks, and theories have pointed to potential Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remakes. That may not be the case, though.
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Todd Howard Admits That He Isn’t a Fan of Remaking Old Games
Todd Howard sat down with Kinda Funny recently, and he had a lot to say about why remakes aren’t his cup of tea. He explained, “I’ve softened on the whole remaster thing. I’m sort of anti-remake. I respect the other ones out there, but I really think the age of a game is part of what it is and its personality and what it represented when it came out.” So, while he seems on board for remasters, remakes are a completely different story. In the same interview, he even confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is going back to its roots. Overall, his words point to a desire to recapture the original Bethesda magic after Starfield proved to be so divisive.
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This makes a lot of sense, since last year’s return of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was a remaster and not a full-blown remake. While Oblivion definitely looks more modern, it still has its old-school charm kept intact. Howard expanded on his stance, saying, “We’re not going to redesign the armor to be something new in The Elder Scrolls. It’s like that version of it looking the way you remember it, but up-resed.” The Oblivion remake turned out to be a solid hit in 2025. With the desire for fresh The Elder Scrolls 6 news, this is understandable. When it comes to Fallout, though, the Oblivion remake may be a decent hint at what fans should expect.
What Todd Howard’s Words Mean for the Rumored Fallout 3 and New Vegas Remakes
Todd Howard didn’t deny that a revamped Fallout 3 and New Vegas were in the works. “Multiple” Fallout projects are currently being developed. However, the expected Fallout 3 and New Vegas remakes are more than likely going to be remasters. Thankfully, the success of Oblivion‘s remaster was a solid demonstration that Bethesda’s games can still be just as charming with a fresh coat of paint. Also, remasters would make far more sense than entire remakes.
A remake would require a new game to be built from the ground up. With huge projects like The Elder Scrolls 6 and hopes for a new Fallout game, a remaster is far more feasible with such a big workload. There’s also the elusive second Starfield DLC. Bethesda brought Virtuos on board to help with the Oblivion remaster, so it would make sense for the team to also assist with a Fallout 3 and New Vegas remaster. Only time will tell, but Todd Howard’s words make it seem pretty clear that whatever the future has in store for Fallout 3 and New Vegas, full remakes are unlikely to be part of the plan.