Former Bethesda lore expert and Skyrim director believes Starfield suffered from a lack of Todd Howard’s involvement: “His absence had a significant impact on the game.”

The anticipation was high for Starfield to become another landmark RPG from Bethesda, especially with industry veteran Todd Howard at the helm, a massive budget reportedly three times that of Skyrim, and more development time than any previous title. However, its impact seems to fall short compared to classics like Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind.

Kurt Kuhlmann, a former Bethesda loremaster and co-lead designer on Skyrim, who was involved until around Starfield’s launch, suggests that the studio’s growth may have hindered the creative process. He noted that Bethesda Game Studios became too large for lead developers like Howard to maintain direct, hands-on involvement in the game.

Reflecting on his experience, Kuhlmann shared, “I was working directly on [Skyrim], and I was a lead. That was how all the leads worked then, and so I was directly working with all the people, all the quest designers, myself.” He pointed out that Skyrim represented a shift in how projects were managed, which contributed to his decision to leave the company in 2023.

While Howard remained the creative director for Starfield, Kuhlmann explained that the leadership structure had changed, with leads now including studio heads and producers from various teams. This shift, he believes, led to a lack of cohesion in Starfield, as differing creative visions clashed, resulting in a game that felt disjointed. In essence, too many cooks in the kitchen made for a less engaging experience.

Kuhlmann acknowledged Howard’s strengths as a project lead but noted that the rapid expansion of BGS often pulled him away from the game, which negatively impacted its development.

As large studios continue to grow, this challenge may persist in future highly anticipated titles, even when they are crafted by the same teams behind beloved games.

With The Elder Scrolls 6 still on the horizon, there’s hope that BGS can recalibrate after Starfield’s mixed reception. However, it’s tough to envision a straightforward solution when key figures like Howard are already balancing numerous responsibilities. We’ll have to wait until 2030 or whenever Elder Scrolls 6 finally arrives to see how it all unfolds.

One thing is certain: Todd Howard has teased that Elder Scrolls 6 “most definitely” features more trees than Skyrim, so I’m adding Valenwood to my location speculation list.