Elder Scrolls lore keeper says he left over Bethesda’s “bureaucratic” baggage and a broken promise from Todd Howard about leading The Elder Scrolls 6

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Kurt Kuhlmann, a key figure in creating the lore for The Elder Scrolls games – and a lead designer on both Skyrim and Starfield – left Bethesda in 2023 after working there for over 20 years. He recently revealed that he left because he was increasingly unhappy with his position and specifically concerned about his potential role in The Elder Scrolls 6.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Todd Kuhlmann expressed his long-standing affection for Bethesda while also mentioning some long-term issues that had been bothering him.

Man, it’s crazy to think about how far Bethesda’s come from those early days in a basement! Then Skyrim blew up, and everything just went into overdrive. But honestly, as things got bigger and more specialized, I started feeling a bit disconnected from the actual design work. I heard Kuhlmann, who’s over at Tencent now, felt the same way – too much bureaucracy and not enough hands-on creation. It’s a common thing, I guess. When a company gets huge, it just… slows down. It’s tough to stay nimble when you’re dealing with so much more stuff.

As a huge fan, it’s interesting to hear how things have changed at Bethesda. Apparently, back in the day, anyone could just swing by Todd Howard’s office to talk about the game! But now that they’re so big – with over 400 people, four different studios, and being part of Microsoft – things are way more structured. He’s not grabbing lunch with everyone anymore, which makes sense, but it’s a little sad to think about how that personal touch must be harder to maintain when you’re running such a massive operation.

During the long development of Starfield, communication problems became more frequent. According to Kuhlmann, different leaders within Bethesda’s various studios sometimes gave conflicting answers to important questions.

Kuhlmann, similar to many experienced developers, eventually transitioned into a management position where he did less direct creative work. He describes a growing sense of bureaucracy, explaining that managers were expected to focus on overseeing projects rather than contributing to the content itself.

After a wait that felt like 11 years – a particularly long time, even for Bethesda’s development cycles – Kuhlmann was hoping to lead the design for The Elder Scrolls 6. Following Skyrim, Todd Howard had told him he would get the position, but when the time came, Kuhlmann was only offered a significant role on the game, not the lead role itself.

Looking back, it seems like what I, as a fan, wanted for The Elder Scrolls 6 and what Todd [Kuhlmann] wanted were just different at that time. He’s pointed out that things had really changed at Bethesda, and leading TES 6 would have been a totally different job than leading Skyrim. Honestly, knowing how things were at the studio then, and seeing what he accomplished with Starfield, I don’t think he would have even enjoyed being the lead on The Elder Scrolls 6. It’s a bit sad, but it makes sense when you think about it.

“They may have made the right decision of saying [I] shouldn’t be in this role,” he concludes.

Kuhlmann has expressed reservations about The Elder Scrolls 6, stating it’s not the direction he would have taken with the game and he’s unsure how he’ll react to it when it’s released, currently projected for 2035. He also believes Howard tends to avoid more unconventional elements in the series, suggesting the next installment will likely have a similar, more straightforward tone to Oblivion and Skyrim.

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2026-01-15 23:40