Todd Howard Hints the Elder Scrolls 6 Won’t Be Fully Handcrafted—and That’s Already Raising Eyebrows

Even though it often takes years to experience new titles from Todd Howard’s Bethesda, the wait usually feels worth it. Their games are known for handcrafted worlds that feel lived-in, interactive, and full of meaningful detail.

However, following the approach used in Starfield, which relied heavily on procedural tools, it now seems The Elder Scrolls 6 will also make use of this technology. While it won’t be on the same scale as Starfield, its inclusion has already raised concerns among long-time fans.

Todd Howard Is Turning to Procedural Tools for The Elder Scrolls 6

In a recent interview with MrMattyPlays, Todd Howard explained that procedural generation has always been part of Bethesda’s development toolbox. According to him, the technology is especially useful for building large landscapes and filling out massive environments.

He explained that if the same work were done by hand, it would take an enormous amount of time. The example he gave was Starfield’s planets, where this approach was taken much further, allowing the team to generate entire planets and surrounding content efficiently.

From a development standpoint, this makes a lot of sense. If the team uses procedural tools, they can speed up production, reduce repetitive manual work, and give themselves more freedom to focus on handcrafted quests, cities, and major locations.

However, that’s also where the problem occurs. This approach changes how Bethesda games usually feel. If too much of The Elder Scrolls 6 relies on automated generation, it risks losing some of that thoughtful, hand-built charm.

The Growing Risk of Losing Bethesda’s “Lived-In” World Design

Bethesda games have always stood out because of how their worlds feel immersive and easy to get lost in. Titles like Skyrim are remembered years after their release for their carefully placed landmarks, storytelling, and worlds that feel deliberately designed to encourage exploration.

In these games, players don’t just follow quest markers; they explore the world, wander into caves, stumble upon hidden stories, and discover unexpected encounters that make the world feel alive. This is a major reason why Bethesda games remain popular more than a decade later.

For many fans, Starfield showed the downside of leaning too heavily on procedural generation. While its scale was impressive, the game doesn’t feel engaging, and most importantly, the worlds lacked any real personality, making exploration feel repetitive and disconnected.

Even if The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t use procedural systems at the same level (hopefully), the fact that it won’t be fully handcrafted is still disappointing. There’s a growing concern that future titles may move further away from the carefully handcrafted experiences, and that’s a shift many aren’t ready for.

Do you think TES6 will feel handcrafted and engage the same way Oblivion and Skyrim did? Comment below to let us know.

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