According to a former Bethesda employee, The Elder Scrolls VI is facing an increasingly difficult situation, largely because fan expectations have climbed to a level where the game is almost guaranteed to disappoint someone.
Even though virtually nothing is known about The Elder Scrolls VI beyond the fact that it is being developed and will release at some point, it’s obvious the community is buzzing about the next chapter in the franchise. But with nearly 15 years having passed since the launch of the beloved The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, expectations have become so extreme that a former Bethesda employee says the project has effectively been pushed into a “no-win” scenario.
In comments to Esports Insider, former Bethesda Lead Artist Nate Purkeypile – who previously worked on Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Skyrim – discussed the next entry and the challenges that already surround it during development. He argued that expectations are massive not only for The Elder Scrolls VI, but also for Fallout 5 (which, according to Fallout: New Vegas lead developer Chris Avellone, is unlikely to return to the series’ roots), and that this has placed both games into a kind of impossible position, especially with Skyrim being widely regarded as one of the best games ever made.
“How do you beat that?” he asked. “I hope it’s a great game, but even if it’s just as good as Skyrim was, you’ll still get a ton of people throwing out hateful comments. I’m sure there will be more death threats again. All of that stuff. It’s really unfortunate that that’s the way things have gone,” Purkeypile continued.
Those towering expectations are creating enormous pressure around The Elder Scrolls VI, and Purkeypile believes Bethesda will ultimately take as long as it needs to ensure the best possible result. “I think there is less economic pressure to just get Elder Scrolls VI out on a date, but there is more economic pressure to actually make sure it’s good, and I think that’s a good thing. That’s healthy so long as they’re also honest with the team about that,” the former Bethesda lead artist explained.
However, he emphasized that the long wait for the game has nothing to do with trying to time it around the reception of Grand Theft Auto VI. “I’m sure there’s plenty of audience overlap and all, but just because one game flops doesn’t mean another will necessarily. There can be a whole bunch of reasons that happen,” he said.
And while it’s a somewhat different kind of release, there’s no denying that the reception Starfield got at launch in 2023 – which hasn’t meaningfully improved over time, even with free updates and the Shattered Space expansion – could add even more pressure on the team to deliver the best RPG possible, the “ultimate fantasy simulator” Todd Howard himself teased last year.
Source: WCCFTech
