Before he left Bethesda, Skyrim's co-lead wanted a cliffhanger ending for The Elder Scrolls 6, but now he knows that's "completely unfeasible" for a series that's already gone 15 years between entries

1. Games
2. RPGs
3. The Elder Scrolls
4. The Elder Scrolls 6

Before he left Bethesda, Skyrim's co-lead wanted a cliffhanger ending for The Elder Scrolls 6, but now he knows that's "completely unfeasible" for a series that's already gone 15 years between entries News By Dustin Bailey published 15 January 2026

"That's not a good way to end a game and say, yeah, we'll see you in 10, 15 years"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

2026 will mark Skyrim's 15th anniversary, and we still don't know what shape The Elder Scrolls 6 is ultimately going to take. But Kurt Kuhlmann, co-lead designer on Skyrim, had some grand ideas for the next entry before he left Bethesda in 2023 – including a cliffhanger ending that would've set the stage for The Elder Scrolls 7.

Kuhlmann is a multi-decade veteran of Bethesda going back to the Daggerfall days, and his long history with the series gave him a reputation as the "loremaster" of The Elder Scrolls, according to an interview with our friends at PC Gamer. He ultimately left the studio after it became clear he wouldn't get a chance to lead the next Elder Scrolls game, but not before developing some ideas for TES6's story.

"I had in my mind that TES6 was going to be like The Empire Strikes Back," Kuhlmann explains. The Thalmor, who you may recall as the Elven supremacists you encounter in Skyrim, would've achieved some unspecified goal in their quest to take over Tamriel in this version of the story, which Kuhlmann saw as a deliberate swerve against the "chosen one" plots that have mostly defined The Elder Scrolls.

You may like

• "We wanted to do something new with Starfield": 14 years after Skyrim with no Elder Scrolls 6 in sight, Todd Howard finally admits it's been "too long" since the last RPG
• Fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 are in a no-win situation due to fan expectations, former Bethesda lead artist says
• Elder Scrolls 6 fans yearn for news as Skyrim turns 14, instead get Todd Howard saying it's "still a long way off" despite being announced 7 years ago: "Bethesda has had us hanging by a thread"

It would be a downer and a cliffhanger ending, though potentially one where players might have "secretly saved the day" in some way or another. "You've preserved hope for the future, but overall it looks like the Thalmor are on the march," Kuhlmann says of this possible ending.

These days, however, Kuhlmann recognizes that a cliffhanger ending is "completely unfeasible" for the Elder Scrolls series, which has now marked 15 years and counting between entries. "That's not a good way to end a game and say, yeah, we'll see you in 10, 15 years," he admits.

Bethesda can't win with Fallout 5 and The Elder Scrolls 6, former lead says, because "even if it’s just as good as Skyrim was, you’ll still get so many people throwing out hateful comments."

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Dustin BaileySocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more "We wanted to do something new with Starfield": 14 years after Skyrim with no Elder Scrolls 6 in sight, Todd Howard finally admits it's been "too long" since the last RPG    Fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 are in a no-win situation due to fan expectations, former Bethesda lead artist says    Elder Scrolls 6 fans yearn for news as Skyrim turns 14, instead get Todd Howard saying it's "still a long way off" despite being announced 7 years ago: "Bethesda has had us hanging by a thread"    Elder Scrolls lore keeper says he left over Bethesda's "bureaucratic" baggage and a broken promise from Todd Howard    The Elder Scrolls 6: Everything we know so far    Xbox accidentally unleashes a wave of Elder Scrolls 6 hopium while trying to hype up GTA 6 and Forza Horizon 6    Latest in The Elder Scrolls Former Fallout artist says The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced so early because "it had been so long already since Skyrim"    Fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 are in a no-win situation due to fan expectations, former Bethesda lead artist says    The D&D campaign that helped shape Skyrim has been unearthed, as The Elder Scrolls legend's lost RPG notes are archived    Xbox accidentally unleashes a wave of Elder Scrolls 6 hopium while trying to hype up GTA 6 and Forza Horizon 6    Elder Scrolls Online unveils 2026 roadmap, devs say "new approach" to transparency and more is "key" to the MMO's future    Todd Howard drops the one Elder Scrolls 6 detail we were all dying to know: it'll "most definitely" have more trees than Skyrim    Latest in News Resident Evil Requiem's "classic" difficulty forces Grace to scrounge for ink ribbons to save    George Lucas padawan Dave Filoni takes over as co-president of Lucasfilm as Kathleen Kennedy steps down after 14 years    Resident Evil Requiem's "classic" difficulty forces Grace to scrounge for ink ribbons to save    Timothée Chalamet praises his own work over the "last seven, eight years" as "really top-of-the-line performances"    The Dreadful trailer reunites Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Sophie Turner for a medieval horror thriller    Arc Raiders dev teases 2026 roadmap, and maybe some new maps "even grander than what we've got now"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for
2. 2Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
3. 3This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy
4. 4Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
5. 5Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"

1. 128 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
2. 2Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
3. 3Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
4. 4Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
5. 5Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"

1. 1Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
2. 2A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
3. 3Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
4. 4Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
5. 5Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"