July 13th 2025.
It's no secret that gamers have a bit of a love-hate relationship with certain game developers. We may love their games, but we also find ourselves exhausted by their sometimes questionable decisions. Even Nintendo, with all their quirks, can fall into this category. But at the end of the day, their games are top-notch, so we let it slide.
For me, the biggest culprit is Bethesda. I adore Skyrim and Fallout, but let's be real here, they must be the slowest and most backward-thinking company in all of gaming. Just last week, there was an announcement about new Fallout games in the works, including a potential follow-up to New Vegas. And all I could think was, "I hope Bethesda isn't involved in these."
I know that may sound strange, considering they are the ones who created these beloved franchises. But it's become clear that they haven't kept up with the times, and you don't even need to look at their upcoming game, Starfield, to see that.
I don't want to harp on about Starfield, as I feel everything has already been said about it. But the most glaring issue for me is that, for a game that was meant to be a graphical leap forward, it feels like the smallest of baby steps. And even worse, the gameplay doesn't offer anything new or innovative. It even goes against one of the best aspects of Bethesda's open-world design.
This makes me incredibly anxious about The Elder Scrolls 6. It's no secret that Bethesda doesn't take negative feedback well, and when they do respond, it's usually just a small tweak, like with Starfield's graphics.
I can't say for sure how much of this is due to Todd Howard, but it's hard to ignore his significant influence on the company. If it weren't for his desire to direct Starfield, we would have already had Fallout 5 by now. Instead, they were caught off guard by the success of Fallout Shelter and are now relying on other developers.
But what if these other developers do a better job, like Obsidian did with New Vegas? I can't imagine Todd being too thrilled about that, given how beloved New Vegas is among fans. If Bethesda had been smart, they would have made a sequel to it 10 years ago. Heck, they probably should have just bought Obsidian.
Now, I know it may not be the most popular opinion, especially considering the recent layoffs at Microsoft, which I am completely against. But I truly believe that the old guard at Bethesda needs to be removed or at least put in a purely supervisory role. We need some fresh perspectives and forward momentum.
Let's be real here, their best games are all over a decade old. And the one big release they've had since then, Fallout 4, was heavily criticized for feeling outdated. The same can be said for Starfield.
What's even more concerning is that there doesn't seem to be any change on the horizon. Starfield has gone silent, and The Elder Scrolls 6 doesn't seem any closer than it did 15 years ago.
I hate to say it, but maybe it's time for other developers to take over the Fallout franchise entirely. It may be too late for The Elder Scrolls 6, but at least give the Elder Scrolls equivalent of New Vegas a chance. Let's see what another team can bring to the table.
Bethesda's leaders, whether it's Todd Howard or someone else, need to get with the times and embrace current technology and standards. Because if their next game is anything like Starfield, we all know how Microsoft will respond to that.
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