Behold, the terrifying march of time: Skyrim came out in 2011 and Fallout 4 launched in 2015, yet both games still bookend their respective series. Bethesda hasn't released a new mainline installment for its two best-known RPG series in over a decade, and Starfield didn't scratch quite the same itch for many.
So, today's motherlode of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls news, unceremoniously dropped online this morning, was a welcome release from years of waiting, rumors, silence, and more waiting. Here's a one-stop look at everything Bethesda revealed today, on the heels of layoffs that have cost the studio several design veterans from these series. (Bethesda boss Todd Howard called the layoffs a "really tough" part of a "change" to the studio.)
Fallout 5 is in pre-production, which could mean anything from a small group of developers putting white boards through the ringer to ideas on a napkin in Todd Howard's desk. Bethesda's active development priority is The Elder Scrolls 6, which, the studio says, is going well despite having nothing to show eight years after that notorious announcement teaser.
Both of these games use Creation Engine 3, the latest evolution of the game-making software, tools, and resources that have come to define Bethesda's style.
Remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are in the works, though we don't know who's making them or when they'll arrive. Original New Vegas developer Obsidian has returned to partner closely with Bethesda on the Fallout series, but its project is equally unknown. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered was notably in the hands of third-party dev Virtuous.
Similarly, Zenimax Online Studios will work more closely with Bethesda proper even as it continues support for The Elder Scrolls Online, which sounds difficult given its more severe layoffs.
Fallout 76's 2027 expansion, Raven Rock, will act as a "prequel story" to Fallout 3. Mobile hit Fallout Shelter is on track for more seasonal updates after reaching over 250 million players, and is also the focus of an "unscripted" TV project in the works at Amazon Studios and Kilter Films. Work on Fallout season 3, the next chapter of the hit TV show, continues apace.
According to Bethesda's latest figures, Fallout 4 has sold 35 million copies and Skyrim has passed 65 million, putting the studio's latest high-profile releases at a combined 100 million copies sold, which somehow makes this decade-and-change of non-news feel even more surreal.
Starfield, meanwhile, has seen over 17 million players, and is entering Year 3 of post-launch support with plans for further gameplay refinements, additional stories, and future Starborn content.
"Across Bethesda Game Studios, we're building for the future of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield," the studio's announcement concludes. "We're investing in our technology, bringing teams closer together, supporting our live games, expanding into new forms of entertainment, and developing the next generation of Bethesda RPGs."
And yes, the real announcement is, ultimately, more waiting.
