“I hope The Elder Scrolls 6 doesn’t become like Assassin’s Creed”: former Bethesda artist on franchise burnout

Former Bethesda lead artist Nate Purkeypile said that he hopes The Elder Scrolls VI will avoid the kind of creative burnout that, in his opinion, the Assassin's Creed series has faced. In the interview, he noted that Ubisoft’s games, while still entertaining, have over time become too predictable and formulaic.

According to Purkeypile, Bethesda’s strength has always been its freedom to experiment and introduce unexpected ideas — such as the underground city of Blackreach in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which wasn’t even part of the original development plan. It’s precisely these “weird” and optional elements, he believes, that make games feel truly alive and memorable.

The developer emphasized that The Elder Scrolls VI needs new systems and ideas — from reimagined magic to fundamentally different character progression mechanics. At the same time, he admitted that as the company has grown, it has become harder for developers to allow themselves that level of creative freedom.

While Purkeypile spoke about the future of the series, The Elder Scrolls VI itself remains one of the most mysterious games of the current generation. The project was officially announced back at E3 2018, but still has no release date — development, according to Bethesda Game Studios leadership, is active but far from finished. The project is expected to finally receive more details later this year.