Former Elder Scrolls designer Kurt Kuhlmann believes that Bethesda's reluctance to greenlight mainline-style spin-offs for the franchise, similar to Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas, stems from a desire to avoid repeating the situations that arose from that game's success. Speaking on the FRVR Podcast, Kuhlmann noted that Fallout: New Vegas created a perception that Obsidian was better equipped to handle Fallout games than Bethesda. This led to a segment of the fanbase believing Obsidian should have been given the franchise outright.
Kuhlmann suggested that Todd Howard, who is reportedly very protective of The Elder Scrolls IP, may have wanted to avoid fostering a similar debate for his flagship series. He posited that the ongoing success of The Elder Scrolls Online might have served to alleviate some of the pressure for a new, single-player Elder Scrolls experience. "I do think [Elder Scrolls Online] took the heat off," Kuhlmann stated. "There was a new Elder Scrolls product and it was ongoing. It was creating new content constantly. And here are a lot of people—I mean, I know the single-player people, I’m one of those people—but there are a lot of people to whom The Elder Scrolls is now ESO. That’s their experience with it. That’s what they love. That’s where they got their Elder Scrolls gaming experience, and that’s probably what they want more of."
While some might interpret this protectiveness as insecurity, Kuhlmann's perspective suggests it's more about managing fan expectations and avoiding the kind of divisive discourse that surrounded Fallout: New Vegas. Developers at Bethesda, he indicated, respect their peers at Obsidian and are proud of their own work, but are likely frustrated by what he characterized as online calls for their heads over perceived mishandling of the series. The passion of Fallout fans, while often celebrated, has also manifested in intense online criticism, a situation Bethesda may be keen to avoid replicating with The Elder Scrolls.
Kuhlmann's comments come amid ongoing discussions about Bethesda's creative direction and the studio's relationship with its past titles. The success of Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment with many former Black Isle Studios employees, remains a benchmark for many in the RPG community, often held up as an example of what fans desire from the Fallout franchise. The ongoing debate highlights the complex relationship between developers, publishers, and a passionate fanbase, where creative control and fan expectations can often be at odds.