Bethesda Avoided Elder Scrolls Spin-Offs After New Vegas, Says Ex-Dev
Former Skyrim lead Kurt Kuhlmann says Todd Howard was protective of The Elder Scrolls and didn't want a repeat of Fallout: New Vegas.
Bethesda Game Studios has never handed its mainline Elder Scrolls series to an outside developer for a spin-off, and according to former lead developer and loremaster Kurt Kuhlmann, that was a deliberate choice. Speaking on the FRVR podcast, Kuhlmann said Todd Howard was very protective of The Elder Scrolls and did not want to repeat the situation created by Fallout: New Vegas.
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released in 2010. Kuhlmann, who left Bethesda in 2023, suggested that the experience made the studio wary of letting another team put its own stamp on a flagship franchise.
Instead, The Elder Scrolls Online has filled the gap by providing ongoing new content, which Kuhlmann said took pressure off the main series. Skyrim launched almost 15 years ago, and The Elder Scrolls 6 remains in development at Bethesda Game Studios.
Meanwhile, Obsidian Entertainment is now part of Xbox under the Bethesda umbrella and is working on a new Fallout game. Bethesda president Jill Braff told staff that Obsidian's creative identity and strengths will remain intact after the move.
Quick answers
Why hasn't Bethesda made an Elder Scrolls spin-off like New Vegas?
Kurt Kuhlmann said Todd Howard was very protective of The Elder Scrolls and did not want to repeat the situation created by Fallout: New Vegas, which was made by an outside studio.
Who developed Fallout: New Vegas?
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
What is Obsidian working on now?
Obsidian Entertainment is now part of Xbox under the Bethesda umbrella and is working on a new Fallout game.