Future multiplayer games from Bethesda are still a possibility, according to Todd Howard. Speaking during the Develop: Brighton conference, the Skyrim and Fallout director says that the experience of making Fallout 76 means he wouldn't "rule out" making similar games in future.
Asked whether there's scope for another multiplayer-only Bethesda open-world game, Howard said that "you don't want to say never," but that some significant changes would be made to the studio's approach. "I think the one thing we would do differently is put it out there" before full release. "You really have to beta test these things for a long period of time, 24/7 with live players," something that Fallout 76 didn't really get, with only short testing periods a little while ahead of release.
Howard also acknowledges that at launch, Fallout 76 "wasn't really giving our audience what they wanted," and that "they were really let down by what we delivered on day one," but says that overall, the game "has been a really positive experience. It's made us better developers, it's made us better-connected with our community, and so I can't say it's going to be a one-off."
Of course, a new Bethesda multiplayer game isn't likely to happen very soon - both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 will be single-player experiences, and they're still a long way off - but Howard says that he "wouldn't rule out [a new multiplayer game] in the future." What that game could look like, however, is still anybody's guess.
Since Microsoft owns Bethesda now, check out this list of upcoming Xbox Series X games.
