The Dragonborn stands defiant against an actual Dragon in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), Bethesda Softworks
With as long as it has taken for ES6 to come out, the situation has been a meme for some time now. With that said, many are filled with anticipation for The Elder Scrolls VI.

The thing is though, according to a key insider, the high expectations for the game might be too much to meet. And if Starfield and other releases can be seen as a hint, Bethesda might be in trouble.
Opening screen for The Elder Scrolls VI (TBA), Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda’s Self-Created Boss

Bethesda has some pretty big releases. This includes the likes of Skyrim and Fallout. Both come from long-standing fan-favorite franchises. So it’s understandable that the company has a lot riding on its next major RPG, and former Bethesda lead designer Bruce Nesmith believes it will be “almost impossible” for the game to satisfy every fan.

In an interview with Kiwi Talkz, Nesmith shared his thoughts on the challenges Bethesda faces with Elder Scrolls VI. “Elder Scrolls VI is undoubtedly going to be an amazing game, but it’s going to be compared to all the previous games that Bethesda made,” Nesmith explained. He drew a direct comparison to the studio’s other titles, such as Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and the recent Starfield, noting that these games faced similar struggles due to fans’ sky-high expectations.
The Dragonborn readies for battle in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), Bethesda Softworks

Managing Expectations

Nesmith emphasized that one major challenge for game developers is setting realistic expectations. Given Bethesda’s legacy, managing fan expectations for Elder Scrolls VI is essential. “You know, the 30-year-old who is making a piece of art who’s a professional artist, he can’t control the expectation because he’s got all this history, you know – it’s there whether he likes it or not,” Nesmith said, pointing to the burden that past success places on future projects. The same, he believes, applies to the fans awaiting the game’s release, adding that their expectations are “almost impossible to meet.”

In the past, Bethesda‘s track record of delivering immersive, world-building RPG experiences has created a loyal and passionate fanbase. However, this also means that any minor misstep can lead to harsh criticism; which was seen with Fallout 76 and Starfield over the last few years.

Nesmith referenced how Bethesda’s marketing team often grapples with this pressure, highlighting that “if it isn’t perfect, it just doesn’t get a 95 plus on Metacritic,” which can lead to a game being labeled a “failure.”
Source: Fallout 76 (2018), Bethesda

A Long Wait Builds Pressure

It’s no secret that The Elder Scrolls VI has been in the works for a long time. The game was officially announced back in 2018, with a short teaser trailer. Bethesda‘s Todd Howard revealed it during a time when fans were demanding updates. “Torches and pitchforks” were out, Howard admitted, with players eager for news on the next installment of the franchise.

But, with every year that passes, the pressure on Bethesda to deliver increases. Fans have waited over a decade for a follow-up to Skyrim. This waiting for the next installment of the Elder Scrolls franchise has turned into a kind of meme. This is because the time between Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Elder Scrolls: V Skyrim was only four years. So some fans have created memes to address their frustrations.
Waiting for Elder Scrolls VI via MemeGenerator
To date, fans have been waiting about double that amount of time, as Skyrim came out in 2011. And so far the company has stated that the game is slated for an “early” 2026 release; making it a staggering fifteen years between games. So here’s another meme:
Khajiit and Idhara patiently wait for Elder Scrolls IV

The Future of The Elder Scrolls

As development on The Elder Scrolls VI continues, players wait with bated breath for any news related to the release of the game. And Nesmith’s comments seem to show that attempting to overtake a previous game can be a daunting task, even for a studio the size of Bethesda.

Finally, Nesmith has advice for game developers. Set expectations carefully and avoid over-promising. “The best approach for developers,” he notes, “is to manage expectations, to try and set expectations” for the audience.

If you’re interested, you can watch the entire interview with Bruce Nesmith below:

Bruce Nesmith (Designer On Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4 & Starfield) talks audience expectations for Elder Scrolls VI (TBA) in Kiwi Talkz Episode #171 (2024)