New Bethesda Report Isn’t Great News for The Elder Scrolls 6

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Why has Bethesda Game Studios declined? Well, there are many reasons of various degrees, including losing talent, engine issues, and complacency. Meanwhile, a new report suggests that there are also some issues with the hierarchy of the studio, right now, and in particular with its creative director, the legendary Todd Howard, who is one of the all-time great developers.

New Bethesda Report

The new report about the inner workings of Bethesda comes from former Bethesda senior artist Dennis Mejillones. According to Mejillones, the aforementioned Todd Howard has ended up with a “yes man” culture around him, which is to say, the management around him is afraid to challenge him and push back on his ideas, not because of anything Howard does, but because of his status as one of the best the industry has ever seen. This obviously is not an ideal dynamic, as video game development, at this scale, is a very collaborative effort.

“A lot of people were afraid to say no to Todd, and I think that hurt him,” said the former Bethesda developer in an interview with Kiwi Talkz. “It’s like George Lucas. I think George Lucas is a genius. I think geniuses also come up with terrible ideas, too. They’re not all gonna be hits, but if you don’t have somebody to help you filter through these things and give you an honest assessment because they’re afraid to tell you what they really think, it actually does hurt you. And I think that kinda happens to Todd in some regards.”

Of course, Mejillones’ perspective is not gospel, and there’s no way to tell how truly reflective it is of what is happening at Bethesda Game Studios. The artist was at the studio for a long time, though, working there between 2009 and 2021. And if what he’s saying is true, this is not great for the future of the studio, nor The Elder Scrolls 6, as both will suffer from this effect. And in particular, it is terrible for the long-term health of the studio, as the vacuum left behind when Howard inevitably retires will be massive and very, very hard to fill effectively. Rather, what’s best for the studio is for Howard’s influence to lessen and lessen over time, gradually. And maybe this is happening, but it’s hard to imagine that being the case if this is truly the dynamic at the studio right now.

For what it is worth, this is not a problem unique to Bethesda Game Studios. This happens to the management of many companies, especially those with figureheads like Howard. And more often than not, over a long enough timeline, it ends poorly.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversations happening over on the ComicBook Forum.