Bethesda director Todd Howard has revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will represent a homecoming to the studio's signature "classic style" of game design. This insight came during a recent interview with KindaFunny, where Howard discussed the lengthy development timeline and the studio's creative direction.
Howard acknowledged that announcing The Elder Scrolls 6 back in 2018 was premature, but he emphasized that the upcoming title will return to the beloved formula that defined earlier Bethesda hits. He described projects like Starfield and Fallout 76 as "creative detours" from this classic approach, which focuses on immersive world exploration seen in games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Oblivion.
"We do have a certain style that we like and that our fans like that we want to get better and better at," Howard explained. "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."
On the technical front, Howard confirmed that Bethesda has been refining the Creation Engine 2, which powered Starfield, and upgrading it to Creation Engine 3. This new engine will serve as the foundation for The Elder Scrolls 6 and future projects. He also noted that the core team behind Skyrim remains largely intact, supplemented by new talent bringing fresh perspectives from other studios.
The wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 has been extensive, stretching nearly eight years since its initial announcement. Howard recently cautioned fans that the game is "still a long way off," though he hinted at the possibility of a surprise release. In the KindaFunny interview, he reiterated that "it's gonna be a while yet," but shared that development is progressing: "We're able to play it, we're about to pass a big milestone internally, the majority of the studio is on the game and some of our partners."
Howard defended the prolonged development cycle, stressing the importance of delivering a polished experience. In December of last year, he posed a rhetorical question: "What do fans really want? Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their 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."
