Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas History Raises Questions About a Possible Elder Scrolls Spin-Off

A former Bethesda developer explains why the studio has kept The Elder Scrolls close to home, while Obsidian’s history with Fallout: New Vegas keeps the idea of a spin-off alive.

The Elder Scrolls franchise has become one of Bethesda's most recognizable properties, but unlike Fallout, it has never received a major single-player spin-off developed by another studio. A former Bethesda developer has now offered an explanation for why the company did not follow the same approach that eventually produced Fallout: New Vegas. 

According to his account, Bethesda leadership, particularly Todd Howard, has historically been protective of The Elder Scrolls because of the franchise's close connection to the studio. This approach has helped keep major single-player projects closely tied to Bethesda's own development teams rather than being handed to outside studios.

Curt Coleman, who spent around 20 years at Bethesda, discussed the subject in an interview with FRVR. 

Coleman worked as a senior designer on Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 and was also a co-lead designer on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. His experience working on both franchises gives some context to his explanation of why Bethesda handled the two properties differently.

The discussion largely stems from the success and reputation of Fallout: New Vegas. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released in 2010, New Vegas became a major part of the Fallout franchise's identity despite not being developed by Bethesda's own internal team. 

Its reception has led to years of fan requests for Obsidian to return to Fallout, with many players continuing to point to the game as an example of what another studio can do with an established Bethesda property. The game's reputation has kept those calls alive even years after its original release.

Coleman explained that the situation surrounding Fallout and The Elder Scrolls was fundamentally different. Bethesda did not originally create Fallout. In 2004, the company acquired the Fallout franchise from Interplay, which meant Bethesda acquired an existing IP and later created its own entries in the series. 

According to Coleman, that distinction contributed to Todd Howard being particularly protective of The Elder Scrolls. His comments suggest that Bethesda was more comfortable allowing another developer to work on Fallout because the franchise already existed outside the company before Bethesda acquired it. 

This helps explain why fans never received an equivalent to Fallout: New Vegas for The Elder Scrolls. While Bethesda has collaborated with outside developers on different projects, it has not handed over the main single-player Elder Scrolls formula to another studio for a large standalone adventure in the same way Fallout was given to Obsidian.

There is also another major difference between the two franchises. 

The Elder Scrolls Online has provided Bethesda with a way to keep the series active while the company works on its larger single-player projects. ZeniMax Online Studios developed The Elder Scrolls Online, which launched in 2014 and has since received years of expansions and new content.

Coleman believes The Elder Scrolls Online effectively reduced some of the pressure on Bethesda to produce another standalone Elder Scrolls game immediately. Instead of lacking new Elder Scrolls content between major releases, the franchise has continued to receive updates through the online game. 

That does not mean every Elder Scrolls fan considers the online game a replacement for Bethesda's traditional single-player RPGs. Coleman acknowledged that there are still players who primarily want the single-player experience associated with Skyrim and earlier games. 

At the same time, The Elder Scrolls Online has become the main Elder Scrolls experience for many players who have spent years with the MMO and its expanding world. Its continued updates have allowed Bethesda to keep the franchise active while development on the next mainline entry continues.

The length of the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 has made the discussion around spin-offs even more relevant. Bethesda first officially revealed The Elder Scrolls 6 with a short teaser at E3 2018. Years later, the game is still in development, with a long time between announcement and eventual release.

The long development time has also meant that players have had very little information about what the next mainline game will actually be. 

Bethesda has focused on other projects during that period, most notably Starfield, which launched in 2023. The Elder Scrolls Online has continued to receive support, but fans waiting for a traditional single-player sequel have still been looking toward The Elder Scrolls 6.

A smaller spin-off could theoretically give players something new to experience without requiring Bethesda's main team to shift its focus away from The Elder Scrolls 6. The idea has also gained more traction since Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, and the wider expansion of Microsoft’s first-party development portfolio.

Obsidian is now part of Microsoft's collection of studios as well, making the idea of another developer working on an Elder Scrolls spin-off easier to imagine from an organizational perspective. Obsidian has extensive experience with role-playing games and already has a history with Bethesda's franchises through Fallout: New Vegas.

The possibility remains an intriguing topic because an Elder Scrolls spin-off would allow Bethesda to explore a different part of Tamriel without immediately committing to another massive mainline release. A smaller project could potentially focus on a specific region, character, or story while giving another studio room to experiment with the franchise's role-playing systems.

For now, however, Bethesda's main focus remains The Elder Scrolls 6. 

The game is still one of the most anticipated projects in the company's portfolio, particularly after Skyrim's enormous long-term success. Bethesda has not provided a firm release date, meaning the wait for the next mainline Elder Scrolls adventure is still ongoing.

Coleman's explanation offers some insight into why Bethesda did not use the Fallout: New Vegas model for The Elder Scrolls during the years between major releases. The difference in ownership history between the two franchises, combined with Bethesda's protective approach to The Elder Scrolls, helped shape the company's strategy.

Whether that approach eventually changes remains unknown. With Obsidian now part of Microsoft's wider gaming organization and The Elder Scrolls 6 continuing its lengthy development, the idea of a smaller spin-off is likely to remain a topic of discussion among fans. For now, though, there is no announced project that would bring an Obsidian-developed Elder Scrolls adventure to players.