The Elder Scrolls VI: Bethesda Doubles Down on Its Roots After Starfield’s Fallout
Seven years. Seven years that those few seconds of teaser have haunted Elder Scrolls fans. Last night, Todd Howard finally broke his silence to talk creative direction, a new engine, and a return to the series’ roots.
Back in 2018, Bethesda dropped a minimalist teaser for The Elder Scrolls 6—just a flyover of mountains and a logo, nothing more. Since then, the studio has weathered the chaotic launch of Fallout 76 and the lukewarm reception to Starfield. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games aired yesterday, Todd Howard acknowledged these creative detours and confirmed that the next Elder Scrolls will run on Creation Engine 3, at a time when gaming giants are making big announcements left and right.
Image credit: Bethesda
Starfield and Fallout 76: experiments that split the fanbase
Todd Howard doesn’t beat around the bush. In his chat with Greg Miller, Bethesda’s creative director called Fallout 76 and Starfield “creative detours” from the formula that made the studio famous. “In many ways, Fallout 76 and Starfield are departures from that classic Elder Scrolls and Fallout style, where you explore a world in a certain way,” he admitted. A measured but meaningful admission from a man not known for public self-critique.
Fallout 76, launched in 2018, suffered one of Bethesda’s worst receptions ever, thanks to its half-baked multiplayer pivot. Starfield, released in 2023, split the community despite years of hype: fragmented space exploration, procedurally generated planets that felt empty, and a story that took a back seat. Howard’s promise to bring The Elder Scrolls 6 back to basics fits a wider trend—just look at Square Enix banking on nostalgia with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3.
Howard gets it, and he’s blunt about it: “We’re going back to that classic style we’ve missed, the one we know inside and out.” The real question: will this wake-up call be enough to win back a burned community?
Creation Engine 3: the secret weapon to recapture the magic
Beyond creative intentions, Bethesda is betting on a totally overhauled technical toolset. Todd Howard confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will run on Creation Engine 3, a major leap from the engine that powered Starfield. “We’ve spent the last few years evolving Creation Engine 2, which runs Starfield, into Creation Engine 3, which will drive Elder Scrolls 6 and beyond,” he explained. That “and beyond” hints that this engine will be Bethesda’s tech backbone for decades to come.
What stands out in Howard’s pitch is how he ties technology to game design philosophy. For him, Creation Engine 3 needs to recapture that unique feel of Bethesda’s best games:
- A seamless open world where exploration feels organic, not chopped up by loading screens
- A constant sense of discovery—“like you’re playing this kind of game for the very first time”
- Innovation that serves immersion, without sacrificing the tried-and-true formula
“We have a style of game we absolutely love, and I think people expect it from us. There’s still a lot of room for innovation,” Howard insisted. It’s a direct answer to the criticism aimed at Starfield, whose Creation Engine 2 was slammed for technical limits and its failure to deliver smooth space exploration.
A release date fans are still waiting for
Despite Howard’s clear excitement, the release date question is still a minefield. The creative director stayed deliberately vague, mentioning a “major milestone” in development but stressing the game won’t be ready “for quite some time.” Seven years after a teaser that showed nothing but a mountain panorama, fans are still left waiting—a wait that’s starting to feel a lot like the one for GTA 6.
Howard even dropped this telling confession: if it had been up to him, Bethesda would never have announced the game so early. He’d have preferred The Elder Scrolls 6 to just appear one day, without years of speculation and frustration. The irony isn’t lost on anyone: it’s that premature 2018 announcement that fueled expectations now almost impossible to meet. The studio is trapped by a promise made too soon, with every extra month of silence feeding the skepticism.
“We’re happy with the direction the game is taking right now,” Howard assures. A cautious, carefully worded phrase—no dates, but a hint of renewed confidence behind the scenes. Bethesda’s credibility now rides on this project. After the lessons of Starfield and years of radio silence, The Elder Scrolls 6 will have to prove the studio can still craft those worlds that swallowed up hundreds of hours for millions of players—from Morrowind to Skyrim. The question isn’t whether Bethesda wants to go back to its roots, but whether it still can.
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
