There Is An Obvious Solution To The Elder Scrolls VI Problem, But Bethesda Probably Won’t Take It

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It’s safe to say The Elder Scrolls VI has some major hurdles to overcome, even before it’s released. Keeping players excited about a game announced so early is always tough, and living up to expectations will be a challenge. But the biggest problem for TESVI is proving that the Elder Scrolls series still deserves its reputation and the enthusiasm of its fans. It’s been 15 years since Skyrim, and recent Elder Scrolls content hasn’t done much to solidify the series’ place among gaming’s best. That means the next main installment really needs to deliver a truly exceptional experience to live up to the Elder Scrolls name.

Honestly, I’m pretty skeptical that The Elder Scrolls VI will really live up to the hype. Even if they manage to avoid a lot of criticism, it’s hard for me to imagine it being as good as Skyrim. With Bethesda still using the Creation Engine, RPGs having evolved so much since Skyrim, and their recent games being… well, let’s just say disappointing, it feels like the odds are stacked against TESVI. I really think Bethesda could have avoided a lot of this by doing what worked before: making more spin-off games like Fallout: New Vegas. The Elder Scrolls universe is so rich, and we need more stories in that world – and we needed them a long time ago!

We Need More Elder Scrolls Spin-Offs

It’s surprising that after Skyrim came out in 2011, we haven’t seen many spin-off games. While Elder Scrolls Online is still a great MMO, it doesn’t appeal to the core Elder Scrolls fans who prefer single-player RPGs. Elder Scrolls Blades was a disappointment and didn’t really capture the feeling of a traditional Elder Scrolls game.

Before Skyrim, the Elder Scrolls games had a fairly regular release schedule, which helped keep fans happy and the series strong. Arena came out in 1994, followed by Daggerfall in 1996, Morrowind in 2002, and Oblivion in 2006. Skyrim then launched in 2011, only five years after Oblivion. It’s now been 15 years since the last major Elder Scrolls game – about the same gap as between Arena and Skyrim. And with The Elder Scrolls 6 still years away, it will be almost 20 years between traditional Elder Scrolls releases.

Bethesda has a lot on its plate, and game development takes longer these days. Fans don’t want the studio to hurry The Elder Scrolls VI, but they also want continued support for Fallout and to see new game ideas explored. A good solution would be for Bethesda to let other studios help with The Elder Scrolls, similar to how they handled Fallout in 2010. While Bethesda was working on Skyrim, they hired Obsidian Entertainment to make Fallout: New Vegas, which kept fans engaged while they waited for the next big Bethesda title. Surprisingly, Bethesda hasn’t really used this approach effectively since then.

Protecting the Elder Scrolls name is important because more and more smaller game studios are creating impressive fantasy RPGs. These studios are developing innovative ideas that surpass what Skyrim offered 15 years ago, while still capturing the essence of Bethesda’s RPG style. By keeping the Elder Scrolls brand in-house, Bethesda risks letting other studios become the new leaders in immersive RPGs, which ultimately sets incredibly high expectations for The Elder Scrolls VI.

Bethesda Game Studios Is Ill-Equipped To Handle Both Fallout & The Elder Scrolls

Bethesda Game Studios is struggling to develop new games in both the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, while also creating completely new franchises like Starfield. This isn’t a criticism of Bethesda’s talent – modern game development simply takes much longer than it used to. Managing so many major series at once is a huge challenge. Constantly switching between franchises could mean waiting ten to twelve years for a new installment in either Fallout or Elder Scrolls, and that doesn’t even account for any other projects Bethesda might want to pursue.

Look, as a gamer, I’m excited for all the Bethesda stuff coming up, but I’m a little worried. It just doesn’t seem realistic that they can consistently knock it out of the park with every franchise if they’re splitting their team across so many projects. Apparently, almost the entire studio is focused on The Elder Scrolls VI right now, and that’s on top of what their partner studios are doing. Honestly, I think Bethesda needs to let some other developers take the reins on some of their established series. That way, those games can still be amazing, and it’ll free up Bethesda to work on some new, exciting stuff they really want to make.

Letting other developers occasionally work on The Elder Scrolls series would give Bethesda more time to focus on its own projects, allow fresh perspectives on the franchise, and provide a consistent income stream. It would also satisfy fans who are tired of waiting decades for new installments. In fact, more developers should consider this approach – many popular franchises could benefit from either a fresh start or more frequent releases, and outsourcing could make that happen.

It’s unlikely Bethesda will consider this strategy anytime soon. If they recognized how long it takes to release new Elder Scrolls games, they would have acted years ago. But with The Elder Scrolls VI already well into development, there’s no immediate need. However, I really hope Bethesda explores outsourcing future Elder Scrolls games after the sixth installment. By then, they’ll have released their updated vision for the series and can provide the improved Creation Engine 3 to other developers. The Elder Scrolls franchise is too valuable to be left dormant for twenty years at a time, so maybe, as Samwise Gamgee famously said, it’s time for Bethesda to share the responsibility.

We want to know: which developer would you choose to create a new game set in the world of The Elder Scrolls? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-25 20:15