Summary
Bethesdamay not have had the greatest year in 2023, but it could have been a lot worse.Starfieldwas mostly well-received but ultimately didn’t resonate with fans as well as the company had hoped. On the publishing side, the much-hypedRedfallwas viewed as a disappointment. It’s now time to close the book on 2023 and look ahead to 2024, and though little is known about whatBethesdahas planned, there are a few things on the cards for 2024.
Starfield Might Finally Take Off in 2024
The discourse around Bethesda’s latest big game has been interesting to watch. It has received praise from critics, but there are those who believeStarfieldleft much to be desired, as shown by the number of negative user reviews steadily increasing. Fortunately, though there is no release date,there is a planned expansion forStarfieldtitled “Shattered Space” that could reignite interest in the RPG. It has been announced for early 2024.
For the moment, Bethesda is keeping a tight lid on any details about “Shattered Space,” as nothing is known beyond the fact that it exists. It is hoped that “Shattered Space” willhelpStarfieldrecover from the lukewarm receptionit has received from outspoken fans as of late, with many hoping to see a recovery for the game that is comparable toCyberpunk 2077.
2024 is Unlikely to Provide Much Info on Bethesda’s Upcoming Games
The Elder Scrolls 6is almost guaranteed to be a no-show in 2024, andFallout 5is out of the question.The Elder Scrolls 6was in pre-production in 2022according to Todd Howard, who also said that Bethesda did not have any plans to work on a newFalloutgame untilTES6is complete.
BeyondStarfield, this is all that Bethesda has made public about its future plans;The Elder Scrolls 6was officially announcedback in 2018, and little has been revealed about it since then. Elder Scrolls 6could be revealed in the course of 2024, but with the game expected to release no sooner than 2026, Bethesda may instead choose to play its cards close to its chest until it can lock down a solid release window.
Fallout 5could be in the very early planning stages, but unless there have been significant changes, Bethesda intends to develop it afterTES6is released. There’s no telling when it may arrive, and it will almost certainly be more than 10 years afterFallout 4released. On the bright side, a next-gen update forFallout 4can be expected for PS5 and Xbox Series X at some point in 2024, potentially coinciding with the debut of the Amazon series.
2024 Can Still Be a Good Year For Games Published By Bethesda
Leaked and Rumored Bethesda Games Could Be Unveiled in 2024
Earlier in 2023, Some information about Bethesda’s future plans was leaked through the battle between Microsoft and Sony over the former’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. These internal documents from Microsoft should not be taken as fact since they were never intentionally released to the public, but nevertheless theymention a remaster ofOblivion. This could be a nice surprise in 2024, but there’s no way of knowing if the game even exists until it is officially announced.
Arkane Studios Lyon is known to be working onBlade,a game based on the adventures of Marvel’s vampire hunting anti-hero. This title was not given a release date, so it’s anyone’s guess when it will be released, though it is expected to be a few years away.Dishonored 3was also mentioned in the FTC leaks, presumably to be developed by Arkane, but there is no official announcement to confirm it. Other than that, Bethesda is known to be publishingWolfenstein 3as developed by MachineGames at some point in the future. MachineGames is also working on the upcomingIndiana Jonesgame, though it is not clear which is releasing first.
If the FTC leaks are to be believed,there may be a newDoomgame in the works.Doom: Year Zerois a title that popped up in Microsoft’s internal documents, but there is no evidence to suggest that the game is in development. There were four years between the 2016 reboot of theDoomfranchise andDoom Eternal, but this doesn’t mean that 2024 is the year for another game in the franchise.Doom Eternalwas announced 2 years before it released at E3 2018.
The Microsoft FTC leaks comprised of internal information from Microsoft that was made public during the legal proceedings, and were not intended for public scrutiny. The documents detail the company’s game development and release schedule, but it must be noted that the information is somewhat dated.
2024 Could Ultimately Be a Quiet Year For Bethesda
Xbox and Bethesda hosted a presentation together in early 2023, on the 25th of January to be exact, where various games were showcased including Tango Gameworks’Hi-Fi Rushwhich was launched that same dayafter the possibility of any surprises was downplayed by Xbox personnel. There will probably be a similar event hosted in early 2024 where more information about Bethesda’s future plans is revealed, but there is no guarantee that it has any surprises this year. There are loads of possibilities, but its probably safest to assume that 2024 might not be an eventful year forBethesda, both as a developer and a publisher.
Bethesda
Bethesda is an American game development studio based in Maryland. They’re best known for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series. ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, was acquired by Microsoft in 2021, which then made it a part of Xbox Game Studios.
