2026-01-13
Elder Scrolls 6 Has "So Much Pressure" On It, Former Bethesda Dev Says
Former Bethesda lead artist Nate Purkeypile has discussed The Elder Scrolls 6, sharing insight on why he thinks the game was announced so early in development, where he'd like to see the game go in terms of setting, and how Bethesda can deliver the game when there is a fever-pitch of hype for it.Speaking to Esports Insider, Purkeypile said he assumes Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6 back in 2018 because "it had been so long already since Skyrim" that the studio wanted to tell fans the next game was coming. Otherwise, fans might be "just pissed at us," he said.Announcing The Elder Scrolls 6 so early was an "expensive" thing to do, he added, mentioning how trailers are "not cheap" to produce. Many games are announced early in their development as a recruiting strategy. Bethesda boss Todd Howard has said he wonders if it was the right call to announce the game so early. Purkeypile theorizes that Bethesda will "take a while" to release The Elder Scrolls 6 because there is "so much pressure" on it to be a hit."I think there is less economic pressure to just get Elder Scrolls 6 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," he said. "That's healthy so long as they're also honest with the team about that."Also in the interview, Purkeypile was asked if Bethesda might hold back information The Elder Scrolls 6 until after another high-profile game, GTA 6, releases, to see how fans react to whatever design choices Rockstar is making. Purkeypile doesn't think this will be the case. Although there may be "audience overlap" with the two games, he believes Bethesda will be "in their own universe doing whatever because the titles are very different."He also discussed where he'd like to see The Elder Scrolls 6 go in terms of its setting. He said he hopes the game is "more constrained" than the company's last big game, Starfield, which allowed players to visit many different places. "My hope would be that they would just pick one region of Tamriel because that's part of why I was not super into Starfield. It was the scope above all else," he said.Purkeypile went on to say he's hopeful that Bethesda brings "some new ideas" to the table with The Elder Scrolls 6, including "systems you've never seen before.""Who knows, maybe magic works in some completely different way, or there’s some new perk tree," he added. "I mean, I've always wondered what's outside of the continent of Tamriel. It's like one big landmass, basically. Isn't there a whole planet to explore? What else is out there? That's what I've always wondered."Purkeypile worked at Bethesda for 13 years, contributing to titles like Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout 4, and Starfield. He left in 2021 to star a solo independent game company called Just Purkey Games, and released The Axis Unseen in October 2024 and Deedlee Doo Carkour in May 2025.The majority of staff at Bethesda Game Studios is now working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and the studio uses AI in its development processes. The game has no release date yet, however.
