New Bethesda Update Is Not Great News for Fallout 5

Fallout 5 is seemingly very far away. Right now, Bethesda Game Studios is working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and only after this will it begin production on Fallout 5. And The Elder Scrolls 6 release date isn’t close. If this wasn’t bad enough, there is growing doubt that Bethesda Game Studios is going to deliver with either project, and that is partially because its recent releases — Fallout 76 and Starfield — haven’t been great, but also because of reports and scuttlebutt about the studio.

In recent times, the likes of Bruce Nesmith (a lead on Skyrim), Michael Kirkbride (Writer on Morrowind and Oblivion), and Nate Purkeypile (a senior artist) have all expressed skepticism or concern that The Elder Scrolls 6 is not going to deliver. Now, you can add Kurt Kuhlmann to this. And for those that do not know, Kuhlmann was one of the leads on Skyrim and is, or was, the series’ loremaster before he recently left the studio after more than 20 years with it.

Is Bethesda Game Studios the Same Studio It Used to Be?

In a recent interview, Kuhlmann warned that following the success of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in 2011, the vibe around the studio began to shift. And when you consider this is the truly top-tier game the studio made, well, it adds up that something changed. To this end, Kuhlmann says there are problems at the studio, and they predate the acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft. Kuhlmann adds that as time progresses, various design leads — including Bethesda Game Studios boss Todd Howard — become less and less hands-on. In place of this, development has become more “bureaucratic.”

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Fallout 5 Will Be Drastically Bigger Than Fans Expect, Teases Bethesda

If the past decade or so, the situation at Bethesda Game Studios has slowly been worsening, then what shape is it going to be come the 2030s, when Fallout 5 eventually releases, and in a potential post-The Elder Scrolls 6 disappointment world? The studio has been bleeding veteran and key talent over the years, especially since 2020, and it sounds like management is not doing its job. For what it is worth, this lines up with what we have heard through the grapevine over the years.

From Morrowind to Skyrim, Bethesda Game Studios was one of the best in the business and in the RPG space, only rivaled by BioWare. Since then, BioWare has completely capitulated. And it seems that while Bethesda Game Studios has not declined as much, it is indeed declining. This is evident from its game releases, but what is more telling are these reports and updates stacking up, all of which point to something bad brewing over there.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.