All articles tagged with #bethesda
Ex-Bethesda head Pete Hines says he watched the studio be damaged and mistreated after Microsoft’s 2021 acquisition, felt unable to protect staff or execute needed changes, and criticized the lack of authenticity in leadership, while noting some Microsoft colleagues he respects and recalling his FTC trial involvement and debates over platform exclusivity around Starfield and other titles.
Former Bethesda VP Pete Hines, after 24 years at the studio, says Microsoft’s ownership has made Bethesda feel inauthentic and that he was powerless to run the place properly, a critique he voiced after his retirement and amid Starfield delays, Redfall fallout, and Bethesda’s shifting multiplatform strategy discussed during the FTC/Activision Blizzard case.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Bethesda’s free-to-play mobile RPG released in 2020, will permanently shut down on June 30, 2026. Following the earlier closure of The Elder Scrolls: Legends, Blades will be the second Elder Scrolls mobile title to end, leaving The Elder Scrolls: Castles as the only remaining mobile entry. Critics cited long wait times and aggressive microtransactions as factors in its decline, though some praised its early core gameplay loop.
Bethesda will permanently shut down The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ servers on June 30, 2026. The game has been delisted from the App Store, Google Play, and Nintendo Store. In the lead‑up to shutdown, players will get a last hurrah: a free Gems and Sigils bundle and all in‑game items will cost just one Gem or Sigil. Blades launched in 2020 for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch and never matched the success of Bethesda’s main titles; its Legends spinoff was shut down in 2019, leaving Castles as the remaining mobile Elder Scrolls option.
Starfield, Bethesda’s Xbox-published RPG, is currently the #1 PS5 pre-order on the PlayStation Store, beating Sony’s titles as PS5 owners rush to secure copies ahead of its release; the $70 game’s ranking details aren’t fully public, but it signals strong demand for a non-Sony title on PS5.
Nvidia unveiled DLSS 5, a neural rendering tech that fuses geometry and textures with generative AI to enhance visuals in real time, while promising artists' control. The reveal drew mixed reactions: Capcom staff reportedly were surprised and wary that AI could shift leadership views on game art; Bethesda emphasized that artists will remain in control and players can opt in; Ubisoft was also cited as learning of it alongside the public. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defended the approach against critics, suggesting concerns about AI art may shift in the industry as developers reassess AI’s role in game creation.
Bethesda chief Todd Howard says the TES6 reveal was mishandled and he’d rather keep details under wraps until players can actually play, balancing fan curiosity with business needs; the game is still in development with Creation Engine 3, and he avoids specifics for now.
Todd Howard confirms Starfield's PS5 release was always the plan, calling the PS5 port inevitable after Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition; Starfield previously launched on Game Pass with mixed reception, and the PS5 version arrives April 7, 2026 with DLC updates and price options of $50 for the base game and $70 for the full package, as observers track pre-orders and engagement to gauge its impact on a larger PS5 audience.
Todd Howard says announcing The Elder Scrolls 6 in 2018 was not his preference and jokes that fans should pretend it doesn’t exist; he explains he’s cautious about early reveals and notes past releases like Fallout 4 and Starfield show Bethesda’s evolving approach, aiming to return TES6 to the studio’s classic style with few details until it’s playable.
Bethesda teases a major Starfield reveal next week, with Todd Howard stressing it isn’t a 2.0 reboot but promising tweaks and possibly new DLC; a PS5 port reportedly due in April; Warner Bros. Games Montreal faces layoffs amid broader budget cuts tied to Paramount's deal; Atlus announces a 15% raise for developers and overtime caps; and a PS5 Pro update is rolling out to improve upscaling on top titles.
Bethesda reassures players that Nvidia’s DLSS 5 AI-upscaled visuals in Starfield will be totally optional and guided by its art teams, with ongoing lighting tweaks to ensure the look fits each game, addressing concerns about AI-driven changes to original visuals.
Bethesda hinted that new Starfield information is coming next week via social posts, with the official accounts teasing more details. The chatter aligns with rumors of a PS5 release date in early April and pre-orders starting March 18, while Starfield’s composer and fans comment on Todd Howard’s visionary approach.
Bethesda Game Studios is set to reveal a major Starfield overhaul next week—likely the Terran Armada second expansion—with the update pitched as a substantial enhancement rather than Starfield 2.0; select creators have been given previews, and Todd Howard warns the changes will appeal to current fans more than converting new ones. The reveal comes ahead of Starfield’s PlayStation 5 launch next month, which could broaden the game’s audience and reinvigorate interest after years of slower updates.
Starfield’s longtime composer Inon Zur praises Todd Howard as a visionary, saying the game was ahead of its time and will eventually be legendary, while outlining his collaborative approach to scoring and noting that Bethesda plans to continue Starfield content beyond the Shattered Space DLC.
ID Software’s Doom: The Dark Ages DLC is described as massive—so large it feels like a sequel—with a ton of new content that departs from the base game, while the standalone title has already drawn about 3 million players since launch.