Bethesda reveals what's next for Fallout, The Elder Scrolls & Starfield

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Published Jul 17, 2026, 11:09 AM EDT

The studio 'couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead' for its franchises

Earlier in July, Xbox divested from multiple studios and laid off 1,600 employees, with 1,600 more layoffs expected by the end of its fiscal year next summer. Bethesda and its sibling studios at ZeniMax Media were affected by those layoffs, leading to questions about how the cuts will impact Bethesda's marquee franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

On Friday, Bethesda shared a bunch of news about what's in the pipeline for those franchises... and Starfield, because apparently Bethesda isn't giving up on it just yet. Here's everything we just learned about Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield from Bethesda's big update.

The future of Fallout includes remasters and Fallout 5

The wanderer and Dogmeat on the road in Fallout 4.

Bethesda confirmed Fallout 5 is on the way, saying it's "currently in preproduction." But as The Elder Scrolls 6 is Bethesda's primary focus, don't expect Fallout 5 to come out anytime soon.

However, Fallout fans will likely have some post-apocalyptic adventures to play in the meantime. After it was reported earlier in the month that Obsidian Entertainment was tasked with making a new Fallout game, Bethesda confirmed Obsidian is "working with us on a new Fallout project," but didn't share any details about what that project entails at this time. Which shouldn't be too surprising as Obsidian has only just been put on the project.

Because nostalgia remains undefeated, Bethesda is working on remasters of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which have been rumored for some time now. Bethesda had success last year with The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, so it's not surprising that Fallout 3 and New Vegas are also getting the remaster treatment. No release windows were given at this time.

A new Fallout 76 expansion is on the way next year. Raven Rock will serve as a prequel to Fallout 3.

The Elder Scrolls remains Bethesda's flagship franchise as The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has sold more than 65 million copies in the 15 years since its release. The next entry, currently titled The Elder Scrolls 6, remains Bethesda's primary project "with the majority of our team currently working on the next chapter of the franchise." Bethesda didn't give a timeline on when players can expect it, but recent reports have indicated it's at least two years away.

Bethesda's comments about ZeniMax Online Studios and The Elder Scrolls Online echo its previous statements about its new franchise-focused approach to project management across studios. "ZeniMax Online Studios will partner closely with Bethesda Game Studios on The Elder Scrolls franchise, while continuing to deliver incredible new experiences for The Elder Scrolls Online," it said in Friday's update. "By aligning more directly across the franchise, we can create even better experiences for players. Bringing our teams closer together is helping us build a stronger foundation for everything we create next."

Season 1 of The Elder Scrolls Online just launched on July 8. Bethesda teased that "the team has more planned for the future," but didn't specify what's on the way.

Starfield will continue in 2027

Bethesda touted that "over 17 million players" have given Starfield a spin, and, as such, it remains "an important part of our future." Players can expect more content to head the Settled Systems' way in the future as Bethesda promises more stories, gameplay improvements, and the very general "additional updates" as it preps for new Starborn "content" in 2027.

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