The Fallout and Elder Scrolls series made by developer Bethesda Studios have been somewhat dormant recently, with players desperate for news surrounding projects from either IP. The dystopian and fantasy franchises have been the subject of mass attention recently, as Bethesda’s larger owners at Microsoft and Xbox have gone through huge company restructures. Following a large wave of layoffs in all Bethesda teams, the studio released a statement outlining their future plans, with a roadmap that has left players like me torn.
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Released on July 17, 2026, Bethesda Game Studios posted a statement regarding many of their series, including Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls. The first point made through Bethesda’s statement was regarding Starfield‘s future content, ensuring players that additional updates for the sci-fi game were planned with new stories and several gameplay improvements. Although it’s surprising that Bethesda is investing resources into Starfield, a disappointing RPG by many players’ standards, the fact that there is a heavy player presence in Starfield‘s Creations at least justifies continued support.
Bethesda Plans To Continue Support For Multiple Ongoing Titles From Fallout & Elder Scrolls IPs
Further quotes from the Bethesda statement indicate that Creations and their royalties have supported a number of popular titles within the company, including Starfield, Fallout 4, and, of course, Skyrim. However, when it comes to the live service titles currently active at the studio, Bethesda also claims that Fallout 76 and Fallout Shelter are two of its games with the highest player count in the entire Fallout series. Reporting a high player count for Fallout 76, Bethesda plans to release another major expansion to the game in 2026, called “Raven Rock,” a prequel to the events of Fallout 3.
Bethesda also notes how Fallout Shelter is host for more than 250 million players, indicating continued support for that mobile game alongside other projects. A Fallout Shelter TV project is also in the works, similar to the live action Fallout Amazon Prime show that already has aired two Seasons. Continued support for ongoing titles isn’t limited to just Fallout, though, as The Elder Scrolls Online has more plans for the future too. All of these live service titles seem to be a big part of Bethesda’s plans, perhaps more so than traditional large RPG development the studio is known for.
Thankfully, this wasn’t the only news Bethesda shared, as they reassured players that both The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 were in development. There are also plans for remasters of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, two beloved titles that fans have been asking to get the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered treatment for some time now. That being said, those four projects are very far away from being shared or completed, with Fallout 5 in particular being labeled as a “long-range destination.”
Remakes & Sequels To Beloved Franchises Don’t Seem To Have As Much Priority As Live Service Games
Although it is nice to receive such clarity from Bethesda regarding their future plans, it seems like their more anticipated projects are taking a back seat to ongoing live service support. Following Xbox’s layoffs at Obsidian, Bethesda, Blizzard, and ZeniMax Online, there are fewer staff to work on Fallout or The Elder Scrolls games than ever before, regardless of the tools and systems Bethesda has to ensure their long-term projects are refined and developed.
Even if Fallout 5 is in pre-production and The Elder Scrolls 6 is a “primary development focus” according to Bethesda’s statement, the split attention on other ongoing games is somewhat frustrating. After years of “the next chapter is on its way” in regards to either franchise, it can be aggravating to see The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, and Fallout Shelter receive changes, updates, and expansions regularly. On the one hand, it’s wonderful to get news about Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, but there is no real information on when and how those projects will get into player hands.
For those who are fans of the live service games in Bethesda’s library, the news of their ongoing support is surely exciting moving forward. Yet, those who have been hoping for substantial progress on the next big Fallout and The Elder Scrolls entries will have to wait even longer than they’ve already had due to limited resources being used on those same ongoing games. With greatly reduced staff on all projects, it’s doubtful that Bethesda can promise anything significant when their talent is being stretched thin across so many endeavors.
It could be more years before we see any actual gameplay of The Elder Scrolls 6 or the Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 3 remasters. Fallout 5 may not even get a cinematic trailer until 2028 or beyond too, creating a drought of experiences fans of either Bethesda franchise can only satisfy in live service titles that don’t quite capture what makes those IPs great. Although The Elder Scrolls Online or Fallout 76 might be good games to try, their continued support on an understaffed Bethesda Studios pushes everything back, leaving players like me torn on the developer’s future projects.
What do you think about Bethesda’s statement and their ongoing live service focus? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
