Skyrim Co-Lead Reveals Bethesda Expected The Elder Scrolls VI After Fallout 4

Former The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim co-lead designer Kurt Kuhlmann has revealed that developers at Bethesda Game Studios fully expected The Elder Scrolls VI to be their next major project following the completion of Fallout 4. Speaking in an interview with FRVR, Kuhlmann explained that the studio had previously maintained an established production rhythm alternating between franchises, making the shift to follow up Fallout 4 with a new fantasy-RPG entry the natural expectation for the team.

Instead, the studio's pipeline shifted toward Fallout 76 and eventually the ambitious sci-fi role-playing game, Starfield. According to Kuhlmann, Fallout 76 was not originally planned to involve the wider studio. However, the trajectory changed when Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard secured approval from Zenimax leadership to pivot toward an entirely new intellectual property. Kuhlmann recalled that Howard told the team they would be pursuing Starfield instead, pitching it as an ambitious space role-playing game.

Kuhlmann noted that the massive commercial success of Fallout 4 likely provided Howard with the opportunity and leverage to pitch an original IP to corporate leadership, a move he described as a difficult sell. While Kuhlmann admitted he would have personally preferred working on The Elder Scrolls VI—a sentiment he believes was shared by the majority of the studio—the development cycle ultimately prioritized Starfield and ongoing support for Fallout 76.

Kuhlmann also previously mentioned that the setting for The Elder Scrolls VI was decided while Fallout 4 was still in production, though things may have changed following his departure from the company. The Elder Scrolls VI is currently in development at Bethesda Game Studios, with the company confirming that the game has become the primary development focus for the team. Despite long-term anticipation following its initial reveal, a release date or release window has not yet been announced.