The Elder Scrolls Online kept Skyrim spin-off from happening, says Bethesda veteran

Skyrim never received a spin-off in the vein of Fallout: New Vegas, and The Elder Scrolls Online is partly to blame, according to Kurt Kuhlmann, co-lead designer on the 2011 single-player classic.

Speaking to FRVR and reported by VGC, Kuhlmann said the MMORPG essentially kept Elder Scrolls fans occupied while Bethesda focused on other work. "I do think The Elder Scrolls Online took the heat off," he said. "There was a new Elder Scrolls product, and it was ongoing. It was creating new content constantly."

Although The Elder Scrolls series built its reputation on single-player games, the online MMO shifted that dynamic. "There are a lot of people to whom The Elder Scrolls is now The Elder Scrolls Online," Kuhlmann explained. "That's their experience with it. That's what they love. That's where they got their Elder Scrolls gaming experience, and that's probably what they want more of."

A second factor was Fallout: New Vegas itself. The game's critical acclaim and popularity created tension between Bethesda and developer Obsidian. "The whole New Vegas thing did create this perception of 'Who makes a better Fallout game?'," Kuhlmann said. "Todd, from my time there, he is very protective of it. He didn't want a repeat of that situation within The Elder Scrolls series."

Obsidian has since begun work on a new Fallout game with Bethesda's collaboration. The Elder Scrolls Online will continue development despite significant cuts at Zenimax Online Studios. The Elder Scrolls 6 remains in active development with no public release date announced.