Skyrim lead designer shares two major feature requests for The Elder Scrolls 6

Former Bethesda alum and Skyrim lead designer Bruce Nesmith has outlined two major features he hopes to see prioritized in the upcoming game The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel. During a recent interview with The Examined Game, Nesmith explained that the studio should knuckle down on mounts and ladders for the next installment in the long-running franchise.

Addressing the implementation of mounts, Nesmith acknowledged that while players could ride horses in Skyrim, the functionality remained quite basic. He noted that mounts are notably tricky to develop due to the difficult design decisions involved. Nesmith expressed a desire for a much better implementation that allows players to fight on horseback or have mounts actively participate in combat alongside them.

Beyond animal companions and riding mechanics, Nesmith also highlighted a desire for fully functional ladders in the game. He pointed out that current titles in the series lack real climbing mechanics, relying instead on interactive objects that instantly teleport players or forcing level designers to use standard staircases. According to Nesmith, the absence of proper ladder traversal ultimately limits the art team when constructing multi-layered environments.

While advanced ladder technology might sound simple on the surface, Nesmith explained that it introduces significant programming hurdles. Developers must address complex gameplay questions, such as how multiple characters interact simultaneously, how non-player characters make strategic pathfinding decisions, and how animations handle combat injuries or character deaths while climbing. Historically, these intricate technical demands led Bethesda to allocate its programming time elsewhere.