HYPETRACKER
EN ES FR DE
Controversy · comment analysis

Can Bethesda still make a great game after Fallout 76 and Starfield?

What thousands of comments on Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 really reveal, numbers included.

Updated: 14/07/2026 less active

Less active topic: the discussion has quietened down and this page is no longer refreshed. The figures and quotes below date from 14/07/2026 and are kept as an archive.

Not entirely: a large share of commentators have lost faith in the studio, a distrust born with Fallout 76 and confirmed by Starfield, weighing on both Elder Scrolls 6 (~15% of its discussion) and Fallout 5 (~22%), though a minority still defends Todd Howard's passion.

The context

Fallout 76 launched on November 14, 2018, to heavy criticism over numerous bugs and the initial absence of human non-player characters, earning roughly a 49/100 Metacritic score on Xbox One. Bethesda later reworked the game, notably with the Wastelanders update in April 2020, which improved its reception.

The Elder Scrolls VI was teased on June 10, 2018, at E3, then described as being in 'pre-production'. The project only entered active production in 2023, after Starfield's launch, and now runs on Creation Engine 3, with no release window announced to date.

Starfield, announced the same year, suffered several delays (originally slated for November 2022) before launching on September 6, 2023, for PC and Xbox Series consoles. Praised for its open world and soundtrack, it also drew criticism for bugs and repetitive exploration, with its player count dropping sharply in the months after launch.

Todd Howard has repeatedly confirmed that Fallout 5 will follow The Elder Scrolls VI, stating that the majority of Bethesda's internal team is currently focused on the latter. In July 2026, Xbox layoffs hit Bethesda Game Studios, which Eurogamer reported had delayed The Elder Scrolls VI's development.

Sources: Fallout 76 - Wikipedia · Starfield (video game) - Wikipedia · The Elder Scrolls VI - Wikipedia · Todd Howard on Fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 team focus - TechRadar

Factual background compiled from public sources — the debate analysis below relies exclusively on the comments.

How we got here

as told by the comments
June 17, 2018

The 36-second Elder Scrolls 6 teaser drops. Comments instantly joke about the wait to come, some already mentioning future grandchildren.

January 8, 2020

Following the Fallout 76 debacle, Fallout 5 discussions begin under a cloud of suspicion, with fans demanding a new engine, no microtransactions, and Obsidian's involvement.

2023

Starfield's release, seen as a letdown, becomes the go-to reference cited in both threads to justify lowered expectations for the studio.

late 2023

The revelation that Elder Scrolls 6 only entered active development in 2023, five years after the teaser, confirms for many the studio's structural slowness.

2025-2026

The Fallout TV show's success revives interest in the franchise, but Emil Pagliarulo remaining on writing duties draws criticism on Fallout 5, while ES6 marks 7-8 years of waiting.

The Elder Scrolls VI

~15% of the discussion on this game

Here the controversy plays out day by day: eight years after a 36-second teaser, comments keep tallying anniversaries and ages passing while the game still isn't out. Doubt deepened after Starfield, cited as proof Bethesda has lost its touch.

Lost trust 65 %

The fact that development only officially started in 2023, five years after the teaser, sums up for many the studio's current state.
« The fact that they didn't even start development on ES6 until 2023, when they announced it all the way back in 2018, perfectly sums up the current state of Bethesda. »
— @VintageGrapes · ♥ 1 k · translated · see original ↗
After Fallout 4, 76, and Starfield, some commentators say they no longer expect much from Bethesda's next release.
« No need to panic — after Fallout 4, 76, and Starfield, none of us had high hopes for Bethesda's future releases. »
— @billyboy8534 · ♥ 1 k · translated · see original ↗
Some are baffled that others still expect a masterpiece, given the perceived decline in quality of the studio's last two titles.

Still believers 35 %

Despite the recurring jokes, many praise Todd Howard's sincere passion for the Elder Scrolls universe.
« People joke about Todd all the time, but I think his passion for Elder Scrolls is genuinely admirable. »
— @MintTea-0 · ♥ 4 k · translated · see original ↗
The studio's attachment to the modding community reassures some fans about the longevity of the next game.
« I'm so glad Todd mentioned the modding community — they're such a cornerstone of the community and of these games' longevity. »
— @Kestrel13 · ♥ 2 k · translated · see original ↗
Seeing Todd Howard talk about his personal investment in the series is enough to convince some the game will be great, whenever it comes out.
« For some reason I got goosebumps when Todd said he's spent more time in the Elder Scrolls world than any other. You can tell how passionate he is. I know Elder Scrolls 6 will be great, whenever it comes out. »
— @jeremiahfox6136 · ♥ 1 k · translated · see original ↗

Fallout 5

~22% of the discussion on this game

The game still only exists as a rumor, yet the name Emil Pagliarulo keeps resurfacing as a symbol of writing seen as watered-down since Fallout 4 and Starfield. Paradoxically, the TV show's success is reviving some hope.

Lost trust 65 %

Emil Pagliarulo remaining on writing duty worries some fans, who doubt he can fill 600 hours of content after storytelling seen as weak on Starfield.
« Emil can't write a solid 6 hours of content, and now he thinks he can write 600 hours worth? Delusional. Completely delusional. »
— @gregwright615 · ♥ 995 · translated · see original ↗
The studio is accused of poor organization, unable to advance multiple franchises in parallel, which explains waits of over a decade.
« Bethesda is being so short-sighted. They need to split the studio so teams can work on different IPs at the same time, instead of making us wait 15 years for a new Fallout game. »
— @ZerglingRush · ♥ 756 · translated · see original ↗
The memory of Starfield, seen as a broken promise, fuels distrust toward any new announcement from the studio.
« They hyped up Starfield too, and we all know how that turned out. »
— @balaam_7087 · ♥ 816 · translated · see original ↗

Still believers 35 %

Others prefer a cautious stance: keep expectations low so they're either right, or pleasantly surprised.
« Reminder to everyone: keep your expectations low. You'll either be right, or pleasantly surprised. »
— @MrLandShark55_55 · ♥ 547 · translated · see original ↗
Some imagine Microsoft could hand the license to another internal studio, which would revive hope for a good game.
« I could totally see Microsoft taking the IP and making a game within the next five years or so. »
— @bestTALL · ♥ 299 · translated · see original ↗
The TV show's success, praised for its faithful respect of the universe, gives some fans renewed hope in the franchise's future.
« Finished the episode and came straight here. As a diehard Fallout fan, I know all the lore inside out and I love spotting all the references and items from the games in the background. »
— @Jibb3rs · ♥ 221 · translated · see original ↗
Where the debate standsThe debate remains split: most comments voice distrust directly inherited from Fallout 76 and Starfield, while a minority keeps defending the studio out of attachment to the franchise. This wariness runs deeper on Fallout 5, where Emil Pagliarulo's name crystallizes criticism, than on Elder Scrolls 6, where nostalgia still tempers the skepticism.

Frequently asked questions

Why do fans doubt Bethesda can still deliver a great game?
Because Fallout 76 and then Starfield are seen in the comments as two consecutive letdowns, fueling distrust toward the still-unreleased Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5.
Which games are affected by this distrust toward Bethesda?
Mainly Elder Scrolls 6, whose 2018 teaser fuels jokes about the endless wait (~15% of its discussion), and Fallout 5, still just a rumor, where the topic weighs even more heavily (~22%).
Does the name Emil Pagliarulo often come up in the criticism?
Yes, several comments on Fallout 5 cite this writer as a symbol of storytelling seen as weakened since Fallout 4 and Starfield, and call for his replacement.
Do commentators still hold out hope for these games?
A minority remains optimistic, citing Todd Howard's passion, modder involvement, or the success of the Fallout TV show as reasons for hope despite past disappointments.
Analysis built from 360 public YouTube comments on the tracked videos — updated on 14/07/2026. Our methodology