Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard has shared a new message with the community, outlining the studio's long-term development strategy. While The Elder Scrolls VI remains Bethesda's primary focus, Fallout 5 has officially entered the pre-production phase.
The announcement comes amid large-scale layoffs at parent company Xbox.
Both The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 are being developed using the new Creation Engine 3. According to Howard, the technology has been in development since the release of Starfield and features upgraded rendering systems, development tools, and workflows that allow multiple large-scale projects to be developed simultaneously.
At present, the majority of Bethesda's development team is focused on The Elder Scrolls VI. The studio says production is progressing according to plan, with daily internal gameplay playtests already underway.
Meanwhile, Fallout 5 remains a long-term project and is currently in the early stages of pre-production.
Bethesda also confirmed work on several additional projects set in the Fallout universe:
- Bethesda has reunited with Obsidian Entertainment to develop an entirely new project in the Fallout franchise.
- Remastered versions of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas have been officially confirmed.
- A major story expansion titled Raven Rock for Fallout 76 is scheduled for release next year and will serve as a prequel to the events of Fallout 3.
- Fallout Shelter, which has surpassed 250 million players, will receive new seasonal content, while Bethesda and Amazon are also preparing a Fallout reality TV show.
Previously, esports organization Nemesis disbanded its Dota 2 roster and announced plans to rebuild the lineup.