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The Elder Scrolls 28 Sept 2026, 16:30

The Elder Scrolls: why a Skyrim spinoff never happened, according to Kurt Kuhlmann

The Elder Scrolls: why a Skyrim spinoff never happened, according to Kurt Kuhlmann

Former Bethesda developer Kurt Kuhlmann says in a FRVR podcast that Bethesda never made an Elder Scrolls spinoff like Fallout: New Vegas.

  • In the source material, Todd Howard is described as someone who strongly guarded the franchise.
  • Kuhlmann worked at Bethesda from 1996 to 1998, returned in 2003, and stayed with the company until 2023.

What happened

Kurt Kuhlmann was asked in a two-hour FRVR podcast about why The Elder Scrolls never received a spinoff in the style of Fallout: New Vegas. The source material ties his explanation to Todd Howard, who according to Kuhlmann was very protective of The Elder Scrolls franchise. The story is therefore about a former Bethesda developer reflecting on a decision or attitude inside the company, not about an officially announced project that was later cancelled.

The core of the story is that Bethesda never made a separate Skyrim spinoff, while Fallout: New Vegas did appear as a side entry within an existing Bethesda franchise. The comparison matters because Fallout: New Vegas is known as a game developed by Obsidian Entertainment within the broader Fallout universe. The source presents this as a retrospective from Kuhlmann, not as confirmed development history for a concrete cancelled Elder Scrolls project.

Kuhlmann’s Bethesda career provides context for those comments. He joined in 1996, left in 1998, returned in 2003, and remained with the company until 2023. That means he was connected to Bethesda for a total of 22 years across two separate stints. He is therefore speaking as a former insider about decisions around The Elder Scrolls, but the provided information does not show that Todd Howard was literally named as the sole blocker.

The source also leaves open whether Bethesda ever formally had an Elder Scrolls spinoff in development. In the provided context, the main point is that Kuhlmann discussed the absence of such a project in the podcast, with the Fallout: New Vegas comparison at the center. Without a full transcript, it remains unclear whether his answer was about creative control, brand protection, internal priorities, or a broader studio mindset.

Timeline

  • 1996: Kurt Kuhlmann joins Bethesda and begins his first period at the company.

  • 1998: Kuhlmann leaves Bethesda after two years.

  • 2003: Kuhlmann returns to Bethesda for a second stint.

  • 2023: Kuhlmann leaves Bethesda again after a long career spanning 22 years across two separate periods.

  • 2026-09-28: The source context about the FRVR podcast and the lack of an Elder Scrolls spinoff is shared.

  • 2 hours: The FRVR podcast in which Kuhlmann discussed the topic reportedly lasted two hours.

Background

Fallout: New Vegas is relevant because the game is known as a spin-off developed by Obsidian Entertainment within a Bethesda franchise. The comparison makes clear why the question about The Elder Scrolls and Skyrim comes up: there was a Fallout side entry, but no comparable Elder Scrolls spinoff. In the provided context, Skyrim is explicitly mentioned as the reference point, so the topic is not only about the franchise in general, but also about a possible offshoot of Bethesda’s best-known Elder Scrolls game.

The source only confirms that Kuhlmann discussed the topic in the podcast and that Todd Howard plays a role in that explanation. The information does not show that Bethesda ever formally had an Elder Scrolls spinoff in development, or that there was a publicly confirmed veto. It also does not confirm that Howard personally blocked a project; the source context only says that, according to Kuhlmann, he was protective of the franchise.

Kuhlmann is a relevant source because he worked at Bethesda from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2003 to 2023. That timeline makes him someone who experienced the internal culture and decision-making around The Elder Scrolls up close. At the same time, the content of his podcast response in the provided information is limited to the main idea that a Fallout: New Vegas-style spinoff for The Elder Scrolls never got off the ground.

The comparison with Fallout: New Vegas also helps sharpen the question. Fallout: New Vegas was released as part of an existing franchise, but was not developed by Bethesda itself. That raises the bar for a possible Elder Scrolls spinoff: the source suggests Bethesda had a strong mainline series, but no parallel side branch like Fallout. What exactly tipped the scales remains unanswered in the provided context.

The open questions in the source context are therefore important. It remains unclear whether Kuhlmann singled out Todd Howard as the sole reason, or whether he was talking about a broader combination of factors inside Bethesda. It is also not confirmed that an Elder Scrolls spinoff was ever seriously considered. Without direct quotes from the podcast, it is best read as a former developer’s reflection, not as definitive development history.

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Sources