Bethesda’s Future is Packed With The Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 5 and More

Bethesda appears to have an unusually busy few years ahead, with multiple major projects spanning The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield, and several other franchises. While The Elder Scrolls 6 remains the biggest project on the horizon, Bethesda Game Studios is also preparing Fallout 5, supporting Starfield, and working with Obsidian on a new Fallout project. 

The Elder Scrolls 6 is understandably the main focus after its 2018 announcement. Bethesda recently provided a more meaningful update on the game’s development, confirming it is now the studio’s main project and that most of the team is working on it. The studio has also said the team plays the game internally regularly, suggesting development has progressed far beyond the early stages fans have been waiting through for years.

That does not mean The Elder Scrolls 6 is close to release, however. 

Bethesda has not announced a release date, and it has not officially confirmed where the game will take place. Fans have widely discussed Hammerfell for years, but those discussions remain speculation rather than confirmed information. For now, the clearest details are that The Elder Scrolls 6 is Bethesda Game Studios’ primary focus and that much of the team is actively working on it.

The pressure surrounding the game is understandable considering what it is following. Skyrim launched in 2011 and has become one of Bethesda’s biggest successes, with the company previously stating that the game has sold well over 65 million copies. That makes The Elder Scrolls 6 more than just another sequel, as it follows one of the most successful RPGs of its generation and one that has remained relevant for over a decade.

Bethesda is also developing The Elder Scrolls 6 using Creation Engine 3, which it will also use for Fallout 5. One of the most important aspects of the technology isn't simply its visual capabilities, but Bethesda’s stated goal of making it easier to support multiple projects at the same time. 

Bethesda Game Studios' release history shows why that matters. Skyrim arrived in 2011, Fallout 4 followed in 2015, and Starfield finally launched in 2023. With The Elder Scrolls 6 still years from release after its announcement, fans have grown accustomed to long gaps between Bethesda’s major single-player RPGs. 

Fallout 5 is already part of that longer-term plan, although players should not expect to see it anytime soon. Bethesda has described Fallout 5 as a long-term goal, with the project currently in pre-production while The Elder Scrolls 6 receives most of the studio’s attention. Details such as its setting, story, and release window have not been revealed, but the project is being prepared for development using Creation Engine 3.

The more immediate Fallout news comes from Obsidian. 

Bethesda has confirmed that it is working with Obsidian on a new Fallout project, marking another collaboration between the two companies. Obsidian previously developed Fallout: New Vegas, which has led to widespread speculation that this project could somehow be connected to New Vegas, although Bethesda has not announced it as New Vegas 2 or revealed exactly what kind of game it is.

Fallout fans also have several ways to return to older games while waiting for the next major installment. Bethesda has confirmed that remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are in development, though it has not provided release dates. Fallout 76 is also still receiving support, meaning the franchise has several active projects rather than relying entirely on Fallout 5.

Fallout 76 has remained a significant part of Bethesda’s plans, with the company stating that it has released around 70 free updates for the online game. A major expansion called Raven Rock is also planned for 2027, and Bethesda has said the expansion will connect to the period before Fallout 3. 

The timing could also be interesting because 2027 marks Fallout’s 30th anniversary. Bethesda is preparing a special Fallout Day event in Washington, D.C., although it has not confirmed that a new game or project will be revealed during the event. Still, the anniversary gives the company an opportunity to celebrate the franchise while several Fallout projects are in development.

Starfield is also continuing to receive attention rather than being left behind while Bethesda works on its other franchises. Bethesda has said that Starfield has reached well over 17 million players and remains an important part of its future plans. The game has also expanded to PlayStation 5, and updates such as Terran Armada and the Free Lanes update have added more content.

New Starfield content is also planned for 2027, giving Bethesda another major franchise to maintain alongside The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. There is no indication that a Starfield sequel is currently close, but continued support suggests Bethesda still sees the franchise as an important part of its future rather than a one-off project.

The Elder Scrolls Online is similarly continuing while The Elder Scrolls 6 moves through development. 

Bethesda and ZeniMax Online have discussed working more closely together around The Elder Scrolls franchise, allowing the wider series to remain active even while fans wait for the next mainline single-player game. This could help Bethesda keep the franchise in the spotlight through ongoing content and updates while The Elder Scrolls 6 continues development.

Looking at Bethesda’s plans this way suggests that the company is increasingly treating its major franchises as ongoing worlds rather than properties that only matter when a new mainline game launches. Fallout has Fallout 76 and several upcoming projects; The Elder Scrolls has The Elder Scrolls Online, and Starfield continues to receive new content and updates.

Beyond Bethesda Game Studios, the wider Bethesda family has even more projects in development. id Software recently released DOOM: The Dark Ages and followed it with additional content, while MachineGames remains associated with projects surrounding the Wolfenstein franchise after releasing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 

Arkane Lyon is also working on Blade, which was announced in 2023 but has received relatively few public updates since then. The lack of new information has left its release timeline unclear, with Bethesda yet to provide a firm date for when players can expect to see more.

Blade remains difficult to place on any specific release timeline because Bethesda has not announced a release date. The same applies to another potential Wolfenstein project. Reports suggest MachineGames could eventually return to the series, and the studio has previously expressed interest in completing B.J. Blazkowicz’s story, but Bethesda has not officially announced Wolfenstein 3.

Taken together, Bethesda’s upcoming lineup is much larger than it might initially appear. 

The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently Bethesda Game Studios' biggest priority, while Fallout 5 is being prepared in the background and Obsidian is working on another Fallout project. Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters are also in development, Fallout 76 continues to receive updates, and Starfield remains an active part of Bethesda’s plans.

Whether this new approach will actually shorten the enormous gaps between Bethesda’s major releases remains to be seen. The company’s plans for Creation Engine 3 and a development structure that can support multiple projects could eventually make a difference, but the results will only become clear as these games progress.

For now, The Elder Scrolls 6 remains the project most likely to define Bethesda’s next major chapter. After eight years since its announcement, the confirmation that most of the team is now working on the game and playing it regularly is a more substantial update than fans have received in a long time. At the same time, the growing number of Fallout, Starfield, and other Bethesda projects suggests the company has no shortage of plans for the years ahead.