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Kurt Kuhlmann, a veteran of Bethesda and co-director of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, has offered insight into why the studio never outsourced a single-player entry in The Elder Scrolls series. While Fallout: New Vegas proved that external development could yield a celebrated title, Kuhlmann suggests that Todd Howard’s protective stance toward The Elder Scrolls prevented a similar arrangement.
The success of Obsidian Entertainment’s Fallout: New Vegas sparked ongoing debates regarding which studio produced superior entries in the Fallout franchise. Kuhlmann notes that this created an uncomfortable perception of competition that Howard likely wished to avoid for The Elder Scrolls, a property that originated internally at Bethesda rather than being acquired.
Kuhlmann clarifies that his perspective is an interpretation rather than a confirmation of formal discussions. He also highlights that the release of The Elder Scrolls Online in 2014 by ZeniMax Online Studios served to satisfy player demand for new content, effectively filling the gap between mainline single-player releases.
Currently, Bethesda Game Studios remains focused on the development of The Elder Scrolls VI, which was first announced in 2018. Unlike the period between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, no external studio has been commissioned to create a single-player RPG to bridge the long wait for the next installment.
