Todd Howard talks about the development of The Elder Scrolls 6

The Elder Scrolls VI was announced at E3 2018 with a short teaser video that confirmed the game was in pre-production at Bethesda Game Studios. Since then, the project has barely been seen in the public eye.

As part of an upcoming retrospective piece on the Fallout series, however, several of the lead developers have shared a brief update on the status of The Elder Scrolls VI. In an interview with Game Informer, Todd Howard admitted that the studio would like to move faster, but isn’t willing to sacrifice quality.

Howard said that development is progressing very well, and that much of the team is now focused on The Elder Scrolls VI. Howard emphasized that Bethesda is used to working on multiple projects in parallel and long pre-production phases that allow them to be confident in the decisions they make in advance. He noted that everyone would like to speed up the process, but the studio believes it’s important to get it right.

Studio head Angela Browder ironically noted in the same piece that, as the internet likes to remind us, it’s been a while. She added that the industry, technology and «hardware» have come a long way since the previous game in the series, and that’s what makes her genuinely enthusiastic. The capabilities of today’s engines, rendering and platforms have expanded so much, she says, that the scope of potential ideas seems insane.

She says the possibilities of modern engines, rendering and platforms have expanded so much that the scale of potential ideas seems insane.

Browder admitted that sometimes when she looks at current technology, she realizes: a developer from the days of Skyrim couldn’t even imagine this level. For her, being involved in a project like this — is a special feeling, and she hopes that fans, especially those who have been following Bethesda games for years, can truly appreciate how far the industry has come. As an example, she cited a comparison between the original Oblivion and its updated version, where the difference is immediately apparent. According to her, The Elder Scrolls VI — is an almost endless set of possibilities, which is inspiring as a developer and as someone who has watched the evolution of the gaming industry. She concluded by jokingly adding that the game will turn out «very cool».

In parallel with The Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda is working on other projects. Todd Howard previously revealed that hundreds of employees are currently working on the Fallout series, including support for Fallout 76 and other areas.