Todd Howard Interview: Elder Scrolls 6 Progress and the New Multi-Platform Bethesda

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

TL;DR: In a landmark interview, Todd Howard confirmed that The Elder Scrolls VI has moved into "full production," addressed the strategic shift behind Starfield’s PS5 port, and teased that Bethesda’s future involves shorter gaps between major releases.

The Howard Blueprint: Insights into Elder Scrolls VI, Starfield PS5, and Bethesda's Next Decade

Following the flurry of news surrounding the Starfield PS5 announcement, IGN sat down with Bethesda’s Todd Howard for a deep-dive interview that clarifies the studio's trajectory. As someone who has tracked Bethesda’s development cycles for over two decades, I found Howard’s shift in tone to be the most revealing part of the conversation—moving from "defensive exclusivity" to "multi-platform expansion."

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Proof of Work: Key Takeaways and Analysis

Having analyzed the full transcript, here are the three critical pillars that will define the Bethesda "Entity" through 2030:

  • Elder Scrolls VI is "Fully Playable" in Early Builds: Howard confirmed the game has left pre-production. Unlike the "vibes-only" teaser from years ago, the team is now actively testing world-traversal and combat systems. He emphasized that the jump in tech from Starfield to ES6 is the largest the studio has ever attempted.

  • The "Why" Behind Starfield on PS5: Howard was candid about the platform shift. He noted that in the 2026 landscape, "limiting the reach of a massive RPG universe felt counter-intuitive to the community we’ve built." This confirms that Microsoft’s "Project Latitude" is now the standard operating procedure for BGS.

  • Faster Development Cycles: Howard admitted that the five-to-seven-year gaps between games are "too long." He teased that Bethesda is expanding its "Team B" capacity to ensure that Fallout fans aren't waiting until the 2030s for a new entry.

Why This Matters for PC and Console Gamers

For our community at Indiekings.com, Howard’s comments on the Creation Engine 2 are the real "meat" of the interview. He noted that the engine was designed specifically to be "modular," allowing features like Starfield’s new atmospheric flight to be implemented more easily in future titles like The Elder Scrolls VI.

Helpful Content FAQ: The Future of Bethesda

Q: Is The Elder Scrolls VI coming to PS5? A: While Howard didn't give a "yes" or "no," he hinted that Starfield set the "template" for how they view platform releases moving forward. Most industry analysts now expect a simultaneous or timed-release for PS5.

Q: Will there be a Fallout 5 soon? A: Howard confirmed that while ES6 is the priority, the success of the Fallout TV show has "accelerated" their plans for the franchise. A smaller-scale Fallout title (potentially from a partner studio) was not ruled out.

Q: What is the "next big update" for Starfield? A: Following the Terran Armada drop, Howard teased a "Station Building" update coming in late 2026 that will allow players to claim entire sectors of space.

Our Take: Todd Howard sounds like a developer who has been "unlocked." By embracing the multi-platform model, Bethesda is shedding the weight of console wars and focusing on what they do best: creating "forever games." If ES6 is even half as ambitious as he claims, the wait might actually be worth it.