Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 will mark a return to the studio’s “classic style” of game design. In an interview with KindaFunny, Howard described recent titles like Starfield and Fallout 76 as “creative detours” from the traditional exploration-focused formula seen in previous Bethesda games.
“We do have a certain style that we like and that our fans like that we want to get better and better at,” Howard said. “I think in some ways Fallout 76 and Starfield are a little bit of a creative detour from that classic Elder Scrolls, Fallout, a Skyrim or a Fallout 3 or a Fallout 4, Oblivion, where you’re exploring a world in a certain way. And as we come back to Elder Scrolls 6 that we’re doing now, we’re coming back to that classic style that we’ve missed, that we know really really well.”
Howard confirmed that the game will utilize a new version of the studio’s proprietary technology. The development team has upgraded from Creation Engine 2, which powered Starfield, to Creation Engine 3. This engine will support The Elder Scrolls 6 and future Bethesda titles.
Regarding the development team, Howard noted that the majority of the staff who worked on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim remain at the studio. They have been joined by new hires who bring experience from other development studios.
The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced in 2018. The time elapsed since that announcement is now longer than the gap between the release of Skyrim and the announcement of its sequel. Howard admitted that he would have preferred not to announce the game so early.
Despite the long development period, Howard reported significant progress. He stated that the majority of the studio is now working on The Elder Scrolls 6 and that the team is “about to pass a big milestone internally.” He confirmed that the game is currently playable internally but emphasized that it is “still a long way off” and “gonna be a while yet.”
Howard defended the extended timeline required for development, comparing it to cooking. “Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their expectations?” he asked regarding fan expectations. “Or do they want the turkey that is in the oven for long enough to be delicious when it finally comes out of the oven, you know? That’s what I think people are going to want. So, we’re going to take our time and as long as it needs to be great.”
He also alluded to the possibility of a shadow drop for the game rather than a traditional lengthy marketing campaign, a concept he has teased previously. The interview was conducted by Rebekah Valentine for IGN.
