It has now been over a decade since the gaming world set foot into the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 4 and 13 very long years since it was starry-eyed over the epic fantasy of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Since then, the face of gaming has dramatically shifted, with technological capabilities and gamer expectations continuing to grow exponentially. Meanwhile, Bethesda Game Studios, that genius behind these two iconic series, has not sat twiddling their thumbs-Bethesda released Fallout 76 way back in 2018 and has been hard at work on the highly salivated Starfield. But still, many fans cannot help but wonder when they’ll get their hands on the next iteration of Elder Scrolls and Fallout alike.
Todd Howard’s Perspective
There is an anticipation, and it is not entitlement; rather, it is a build-up of time, wanting to have more adventures in these universes. This very same struggle is known by Todd Howard, the visionary director at Bethesda. In an unusually candid interview with Kinda Funny Games, Howard had said something that tows the line of what players worldwide are saying: “We need to increase our output. Because-and this is true-we don’t want to wait that long either.”
Howard’s words serve as a peek into the studio ethos and challenges faced. It is never easy crafting games that will not only live up to the already high marks set by their predecessors but outdo them. That takes a perfect blend of innovation, storytelling, and technical prowess. Howard himself, a gamer to the very core, invests his weekends in playing through worlds he helps create, from Starfield to Fallout 76 and Fallout 4. This personal investment in gaming speaks volumes about the fire that drives Bethesda’s team.
‘If I didn’t make these games,’ Howard confessed, ‘I would just be playing them all of the time.’ A testament to that is his weekend routine: to keep alive and well the very immersive experiences Bethesda makes. But it is not just about personal enjoyment; it is about delivering that same joy to the fans. ‘They do take a long time,’ Howard acknowledged, ‘and so I think one of the things that we’re focused on here is obviously making sure they’re of the highest quality, but also finding ways to increase our output, because we don’t want to wait that long either. That’s never our plan, but we want to make sure we get it right.’
Obviously, quality is a cornerstone of Bethesda’s philosophy, but it’s clear the studio is thinking about ways to speed things up without losing any of the scope and depth that give their games their signature. The Elder Scrolls 6 is already in development; all fans have to cling to is a teaser image for hope. Then there is Fallout 5, which has been confirmed to exist but has mostly been left to mystery. Not all of these titles will keep fans waiting, since even the most optimistic predictions only expect The Elder Scrolls 6 to launch in 2026, which would mean a 15-year gap between main entries.
Bethesda’s Games and Their Futures
This extended development cycle shows just how complicated it is to create vast, richly detailed, and engaging game worlds. Varied, Bethesda’s lineup is centered around monumental gaming experiences, which has sometimes translated into wider intervals between the releases. Howard talked about more than a few subjects in his interview, such as the mature content of the Fallout TV show and what goes on at the studio regarding Fallout: New Vegas-the notion of animosity is put to rest.
The interview also touched on the possibility of outside developers taking other entries in those series for Bethesda as a means to shorten waits. Howard himself described how such discussions have always been part of the studio’s thoughts, suggesting that a compromise for content delivery to hungry fans could be collaboration. Fallout 76’s Skyline Valley Map Expansion is perhaps the best example of their continuing labor of love to flesh out their classic titles as they work on future ones.
The horizon must be bright for the next masterpieces of Bethesda, and the desire of the studio to ‘increase our output’ speaks to those fans who have spent years in wandering through the wastes and lands of Tamriel. Guided by Howard, Bethesda handles with care this juggling act that is game development, recognizing a balance between offering us something new and not forcing another interminable wait. The path ahead is teeming with promise as a game-starved community holds its collective breath, praying once again to be enveloped in the worlds that have held us hostage for so many years.
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Todd Howard says Bethesda’s trying to ‘increase our output’ with Elder Scrolls and Fallout ‘because we don’t want to wait that long either’
Todd Howard says Bethesda’s trying to ‘increase our output’ with Elder Scrolls and Fallout ‘because we don’t want to wait that long either’
Todd Howard says Bethesda is focused on finding ways to increase its output
