Overview
- Kurt Kuhlmann told FRVR on Tuesday that most developers expected The Elder Scrolls 6 to follow Fallout 4 but Todd Howard secured approval to make Starfield instead.
- Kuhlmann said he left Bethesda in 2023 after an acrimonious split prompted by being denied the lead designer role on TES6.
- He described Fallout 76 expanding beyond its original scope and Starfield consuming studio resources, which he says sidetracked plans for TES6.
- Reporters note Starfield had a long, difficult development and a mixed launch that included poor Steam reviews and unfavorable comparisons to Baldur's Gate 3 while the game still receives live support and millions of players.
- Bethesda still has no release date for TES6 since its 2018 announcement and recent comments from Xbox leadership, including CEO Asha Sharma, signal new pressure that could force schedule changes and renewed scrutiny of Bethesda's project choices.