Many developers at Bethesda Game Studios reportedly favored working on The Elder Scrolls 6 following Fallout 4's release over embarking on the ambitious space-faring RPG, Starfield. This sentiment was shared by Kurt Kuhlmann, a long-time Bethesda developer and co-lead designer on Skyrim, who detailed his perspective on the studio's project trajectory in a recent interview.
Kuhlmann explained that after the completion of Fallout 4 in 2015, an initial period involved work on Fallout 76. However, the prevailing assumption among many staff was that The Elder Scrolls 6 would be the studio's next major undertaking. This expectation aligns with Bethesda's historical development pattern, where entries in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series have often alternated.
According to Kuhlmann, the decision to prioritize Starfield was a direction largely driven by Todd Howard. He characterized the shift as "very much, 'guess what, team? We're making this space game,'" rather than a collective, studio-wide passion project. Kuhlmann himself stated that "what I think most people wanted" was to proceed with The Elder Scrolls 6, a sentiment he shared.
Howard, however, has previously articulated a strong personal drive to create a new space-faring universe. In a 2021 interview, he described the decision to start Starfield around 2015 as a crucial opportunity, suggesting that if the project wasn't undertaken then, it might never have happened. He expressed a desire to "play in a new universe."
Kuhlmann's account suggests that the development of Starfield may have been a departure from the immediate desires of a significant portion of the development team. The article posits that the perception of Starfield's development, particularly in light of its critical reception relative to pre-release hype, influences how this internal dynamic is remembered. Had Starfield achieved the level of success seen with titles like Skyrim or Fallout 4, the narrative surrounding its inception might have been viewed differently, even by those who initially preferred working on The Elder Scrolls 6.