Summary

  • A former Bethesda designer, Bruce Nesmith, believes The Elder Scrolls 6 may struggle to meet high fan expectations.
  • Nesmith highlights the challenge of living up to Bethesda's legacy of beloved RPGs.
  • The success of past Bethesda games like Skyrim and Starfield raises the bar for The Elder Scrolls 6.

According to recent statements from a former Bethesda designer, it may be difficult for The Elder Scrolls 6 to meet expectations. As one of the most anticipated games in development, The Elder Scrolls 6 aims to continue Bethesda's beloved fantasy RPG franchise, but the game could have an uphill battle ahead of it.

It has now been six years since The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced. The 30-second trailer doesn't showcase much, as the footage only reveals a sprawling landscape. Although excitement for the game's confirmation was palpable, the wait has felt increasingly long as Bethesda has yet to reveal any new substantial updates. The Elder Scrolls 6's predecessor, Skyrim, was a massive hit, with many continuing to play it 13 years later. Between mounting rumors about The Elder Scrolls 6 and the success of past entries in the series, the game might have trouble pleasing audiences.

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Bruce Nesmith, a former senior game designer for Bethesda, stated in an interview with Kiwi Talkz that The Elder Scrolls 6 meeting fan expectations is "almost impossible" to achieve. Nesmith claims that Bethesda's long history of crafting beloved RPGs puts The Elder Scrolls 6 in a tricky position because there is such a long roster of great games preceding it. He stated, "Elder Scrolls 6 is undoubtedly going to be an amazing game, but it's going to be compared to all the previous games that Bethesda made."

Bethesda Game Designer Says The Elder Scrolls 6 May Not Meet Expectations

  • Bruce Nesmith has worked on Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Starfield.

Despite no longer working for the developer, Nesmith has built an impressive resume with Bethesda. In the interview, Nesmith stated the struggle of having to keep up with expectations, as games that don't get incredibly high Metacritic scores are often immediately written off as a failure. Bethesda's latest release, Starfield, is an example of this increasing pressure. Although the sci-fi adventure is gaining a new lease on life with its first land vehicle and upcoming Shattered Space DLC, Starfield remains a divisive launch.

Elder Scrolls 6 is undoubtedly going to be an amazing game, but it's going to be compared to all the previous games that Bethesda made.

Expectations for Starfield were also incredibly high, which could give insight into how the eventual launch of The Elder Scrolls 6 might go. As the wait for more news about The Elder Scrolls 6 continues, rumors and speculation are only making those expectations grow. For a developer, it is likely frustrating trying to keep up with such high hopes. The long stretch of silence that has plagued The Elder Scrolls 6's development is at least a hopeful sign that Bethesda is now waiting until the time is right to reveal more details.

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The Elder Scrolls 6 Tag Page Cover Art

The Elder Scrolls 6
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RPG
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Systems
PC-1 Xbox-1
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Released
2026
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s)
Bethesda Softworks
Franchise
The Elder Scrolls
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The Elder Scrolls 6 is an open world RPG in development by Bethesda Game Studios.

Platform(s)
PC, Xbox (Original)
Genre(s)
RPG