Following a string of successful releases, Bethesda has struggled to deliver the same level of quality it did with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Although Fallout 76 has received significant improvements since its launch, Starfield (which may be among the games that will benefit the most from NVIDIA DLSS 5) has yet to receive the same treatment, as, aside from some minor improvements and additional content, the latest open-world RPG from the studio is essentially still the same game it was at launch in late 2023.
Though it is undeniable that the game feels a little dated compared to other modern open-world role-playing games, the Skyrim design lead thinks Starfield would have been received much better if it were put out by another studio, without the burden of very high expectations.
Speaking with PressBox PR, Skyrim's design lead Bruce Nesmith was asked about the incredibly high expectations many have for The Elder Scrolls 6 (whose Creation Engine is unlikely to be left behind due to some critical development issues) and the inevitable Fallout 5, and how the "game of expectations" may impact the perception of both games.
"I am very fond of a phrase called the game of expectations, and I've been trotting the game of expectations out for well over a decade. Bethesda's in the bad position of having expectations being so high they cannot be met," said Nesmith. "Managing expectations is the number one thing a good marketing department has to do. Let's take a look at Starfield. Let's assume that a new studio had put out Starfield. I suspect it would be talked about like the second coming. But because it was released by Bethesda, the expectations were so much higher that it was seen differently. Starfield is a good game. It's a very good game. It's just not the game that people expected it to be."
Although Bethesda lost this "game of expectations" with Starfield, the studio is in a better position for both The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, as, according to Nesmith, the high expectations for Skyrim coming from Oblivion (whose remake proved successful enough on all formats, although nostalgia didn't translate into great player engagement) and Fallout 4 were fully met. However, it won't be easy: "Boy, do they have their work cut out for them," Nesmith said, agreeing with former Bethesda Lead Artist Nate Purkeypile about the challenges the sixth entry in The Elder Scrolls series will face.
While Starfield has not met the high expectations of Bethesda's fans, the game reportedly has a shot to do so with a rumored massive update. Allegedly launching this year (possibly in April 2026, and as early as April 7) when the game will hit PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, this "Cyberpunk 2.0 style" update will address some of the most common complaints, such as load screens, improved space flight, and more.
Will this be enough to make players return to a game that had a lot of potential that was ultimately squandered by a series of questionable game design choices? Only time will tell.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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