Kurt Kuhlmann, a veteran designer who served as a lead “loremaster” at Bethesda Game Studios for over two decades, left Bethesda in 2023 after contributing to Starfield. His departure followed a period of focus on the studio’s major single-player releases, including The Elder Scrolls franchise.
There has been a 15-year gap in single-player releases for that series since 2011’s Skyrim, a drought that stands in contrast to the studio’s management of the Fallout franchise. While Bethesda has historically allowed external developers like Obsidian Entertainment to create titles within the Fallout universe, the main series entries for The Elder Scrolls have remained under the direct control of Bethesda Game Studios.
The Role of The Elder Scrolls Online
While The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is managed by ZeniMax Online Studios, it remains within the ZeniMax/Microsoft corporate umbrella. This ongoing title has provided a constant stream of new lore and content for the fan base during the gap between mainline single-player entries.
Contrast with Fallout’s Expanding Future
Bethesda’s strategy for the Fallout franchise has recently seen significant developments. On September 24, 2026, reports indicated that Bethesda had confirmed a new Fallout spin-off project with Obsidian Entertainment, marking a return to external collaboration for that series. This highlights a distinction in how the studio manages its various brands, including those it acquired like Fallout.
Fans of the fantasy series have recently seen some movement with legacy content, such as the September 17, 2026, launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on the Nintendo Switch 2. Bethesda Game Studios has also confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI is currently in active production, though it follows years of focus on the 2023 release of Starfield and its subsequent updates.
