Bethesda Game Studios has broken its silence following Xbox's sweeping restructuring, confirming that Starfield, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout all have active futures at the studio.
This sits within our continuing Bethesda and Xbox coverage.
In a post on X, the studio outlined its roadmap across multiple franchises, addressing fan concerns that emerged after Microsoft's announcement of 3,200 Xbox layoffs and the departure of four studios.
Starfield Continues Into Year 3
"Starfield continues," Bethesda stated. The space RPG has reached 17 million players who have logged nearly a billion hours to date. As the game enters its third year, the studio plans to expand the Settled Systems with new stories, targeted gameplay improvements, and additional updates. A new batch of Starborn content is planned for next year.
Bethesda also noted that more than 40% of players customize their experience through Creations, the game's modding platform, and said the studio will continue investing in creators.
The confirmation comes after weeks of uncertainty. Following Xbox's restructuring, reports indicated studios would focus on their strongest franchises, with The Elder Scrolls and Fallout named as Bethesda's priorities. Starfield's absence from those discussions left fans uneasy about the game's long-term support.
The Elder Scrolls VI Remains the Priority
Bethesda director Todd Howard said The Elder Scrolls VI is "our primary development focus today, with the majority of our team currently working on the next chapter of the franchise."
Howard added that the team is "where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day." The sequel was first announced in 2018 and remains at least two years away from release, but Howard's comments suggest development is progressing steadily.
The update arrives as both The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher franchises approach their next installments. The Witcher IV is in development at CD Projekt Red, and the two series could potentially launch within the same window.
Fallout Gets Multiple Projects
The Fallout franchise received the most surprising news. Bethesda confirmed that both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are getting remasters. Additionally, Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind New Vegas, is returning to the post-apocalyptic RPG series for a new project.
Fallout 5, meanwhile, has entered preproduction. The game was first teased by Howard in 2018 but has sat largely unmentioned since, with the studio's resources directed at Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI.
The Fallout revival follows the success of Amazon's Fallout television series, which boosted player engagement across the existing game catalog.
Skyrim Crosses 65 Million Sold
As part of the same announcement, Xbox head Asha Sharma revealed that Skyrim has crossed 65 million units sold, placing it among the top 10 best-selling games of all time. The 2011 release sold over 3.5 million copies in its first 48 hours and has since been ported to virtually every platform capable of running it.
Fallout 4 has also crossed 35 million units, joining the top 25. Starfield, by contrast, was reported in terms of player count and hours played rather than sales figures.
The announcements signal that Bethesda intends to maintain its full portfolio of franchises even as Xbox reshapes its broader studio structure. For players who were worried about which projects would survive the cuts, the message is clear: the major franchises are staying.
