Ex-Bethesda lead says Starfield faltered when Todd Howard was pulled away

Former Bethesda loremaster and Skyrim co-lead designer Kurt Kuhlmann says Gamesradar that Starfield's main problem was a lack of consistent hands-on leadership from Todd Howard as the studio grew.

The piece notes Starfield had conditions that might have favoured a generational RPG—Howard in charge, an enormous budget reportedly several times that of Skyrim, and more development time than any previous Bethesda title—yet its legacy still pales compared to Skyrim, Oblivion and Morrowind. Kuhlmann is quoted saying "the main problem with Starfield is it didn't fully cohere as a game," and he added that he thinks Howard is a "very good project lead" but that when Howard would "get pulled away from the game" "that would really hurt the game."

The article says The Elder Scrolls 6 remains "still a while off," and suggests there is hope BGS could course-correct after Starfield's lukewarm reception, while also noting it is hard to imagine a clear solution if key creatives like Howard continue to juggle many roles. It also records Todd Howard as saying Elder Scrolls 6 "most definitely" has more trees.

Key Topics

Culture, Kurt Kuhlmann, Todd Howard, Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios, Skyrim