Bethesda avoided an Elder Scrolls spin‑off to prevent another “New Vegas situation”

Last week, former Bethesda designer Kurt Kuhlmann made headlines for saying Starfield is unlikely to receive a sequel. In that same interview, he also shed light on why The Elder Scrolls never received a Fallout: New Vegas‑style spin‑off from an external studio.

Speaking with FRVR, Kuhlmann explained that the success of Fallout: New Vegas created a perception among fans that Obsidian was better suited to handle Fallout than Bethesda. As he put it: “The whole New Vegas thing did create this, at least the perception of this, ‘who makes a better Fallout game?’ Oh, they should just give it to Obsidian. There are the Obsidian, New Vegas people that think obviously New Vegas is way better, Obsidian is way better at making those games, and why don’t they just get Fallout altogether.”

According to Kuhlmann, Bethesda leadership and Todd Howard specifically did not want to create that situation again with The Elder Scrolls. Unlike Fallout, which Bethesda acquired and has historically shared creative ownership with other studios, The Elder Scrolls is entirely a Bethesda creation with its own deeply established lore. “Todd, from my time there, he is very protective of it,” Kuhlmann said, adding that this level of protection made an external spin‑off unlikely.

Kuhlmann also noted that The Elder Scrolls Online helped fill the gap while Bethesda focused on Starfield, giving fans a steady stream of new Elder Scrolls content without handing the single‑player series to another developer. With Elder Scrolls VI still years away, ESO has effectively served as the franchise’s ongoing presence during the long wait.

KitGuru says: Fallout: New Vegas remains one of the most beloved RPGs ever made, but it also created a long‑lasting debate over who should make Fallout games. It’s easy to see why Bethesda would want to avoid that dynamic with The Elder Scrolls, especially with Elder Scrolls VI still in active development.

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