The Elder Scrolls 6 Was Supposed To Come Out After Fallout 4

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Considering how popular Skyrim was, many people are surprised it’s taken Bethesda so long to begin development on The Elder Scrolls 6.

Kurt Kuhlmann, a former designer who worked on both Daggerfall and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, has stated that the team originally planned to start developing the next Elder Scrolls game soon after Fallout 4 was released.

Following Fallout 4, instead of starting The Elder Scrolls 6, we developed Fallout 76. And even after that, we didn’t begin work on TES6, opting instead for Starfield, which turned into a much larger and more time-consuming project than usual. Personally, I’ve been waiting eleven years for the opportunity to lead the development of The Elder Scrolls 6, as he explained in an interview with PC Gamer.

Kulhmann Wanted The Elder Scrolls 6 To Be Part Two In A Trilogy

The Elder Scrolls series has always featured different stories, but the first four games shared a connecting thread. Emperor Uriel Septim VII played a role in each one: he was kidnapped in Arena, rescued in Daggerfall, and tasked the hero of Morrowind with their quest. His story ultimately ended with his death in Oblivion.

So, I heard Nate Purkeypile, a lead artist over at Bethesda, actually left the company. Apparently, the pressure from fans constantly wanting updates and having huge expectations for The Elder Scrolls 6 was a big part of why he decided to move on. It’s tough when everyone’s so hyped for something, you know?

Kuhlmann envisioned a strong connection between The Elder Scrolls V, VI, and VII, starting with Skyrim. He intended for Skyrim to set up a major conflict with the Thalmor, a group aiming to conquer Tamriel and establish elven dominance.

He explained he’d envisioned The Elder Scrolls VI as similar to ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ with the Aldmeri Dominion achieving victory and setting the stage for a climactic showdown in The Elder Scrolls VII.

That’s not a good way to end a game and say, yeah, we’ll see you in 10, 15 years.

Kulhmann aimed to move away from the typical ‘chosen one’ storyline common in Bethesda games, but still allow players to feel impactful. Instead of being a powerful hero, the player might have subtly saved the world by protecting someone important, like the Hero of Kvatch or Martin Septim did.

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Given the already lengthy wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 and the fact that Fallout 5 will come after it, Bethesda’s Todd Kuhlmann believes a cliffhanger ending is unrealistic. He doubts the company would risk leaving players with an unsatisfying conclusion, saying it’s not a good idea to end a game and then ask fans to wait potentially 10 to 15 years for a resolution.

The Thalmor are central to the future of the Elder Scrolls series, and it seems unlikely Bethesda would avoid exploring their powerful, elf-supremacist empire. This is especially true if the next game takes place in Hammerfell, which rebelled against the Thalmor’s rule. However, don’t anticipate the next game simply continuing the story from the previous two.

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2026-01-17 13:37