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Where Does Bethesda Go From Here?


How Do You Turn This Off?

Fallout 76 hit player’s screens less than a month ago debuting to mixed reviews. The release started off rocky with many reported glitches as well as disappointment in missing features such as ‘push to talk’, a lack of any NPCs, and almost no players to be found at all. Then Bethesda did what they do so well, they started rolling out the patches. And patches for patches. Last week the world found out about bag-gate and Bethesda once again found themselves knee deep in Texas field cakes. Though a promise made is a promise kept and anyone who ordered the Power Armor edition will now get their canvas bag.

Fallout 76

Bethesda made the news once again yesterday after an error in their customer support system. A glitch in the system allowed some customers to see the support tickets of other players. It was originally reported that credit card numbers and passwords were stolen, however this turned out to be inaccurate. The news still spread and every fan of the company cringed again, begging for the dominos to stop. And yet, lacking any semblance of an apology, Bethesda’s support twitter account tweeted only to explain what happened. It’s as if their PR department is just throwing darts at solutions. Darts that glitch through the dart board before exploding.

 

And the whole fandom let out an exasperated sigh.

Those Of Us Still In The Vault

Bethesda has the rare opportunity of a die hard fanbase. I have been a diehard fan for over a decade now since I first set foot into the wastelands of Fallout 3. They have created open world games that let you throw the rules of traditional RPGs in the trash. Hoarders like me have enjoyed the unlimited storage in houses, one of the best crafting and perk tree systems in the business, and smooth customization to our own individual styles of gameplay. Although many fans are upset by these recent controversies, there’s still hope that the Fallout franchise can find its footing once again.

Until that happens, however, the steps forward should be steps of confidence. Bethesda is capable of making a great game, and have other franchises to fall back on. There are things to look forward to going ahead.

Charisma

Get yourself a Charisma bobblehead!

May The Fus Ro Dah Be Always At Your Back.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is one of these opportunities that i’m very optimistic for. The game was intended to be released in the third quarter of this year, however after several delays it is now expected sometime early next year. Pre-release sign up is still available through the link so you can join me in getting a jump start on the game once it’s ready. This is the first major full action RPG mobile game to be released by Bethesda and I am hoping the delays are being used to ensure a fully visualized game and we, as the fans, are willing to wait. Blades is playable in both portrait and landscape mode. I’m personally primarily excited for the town mode and from what we’ve heard i’m hoping it will be like playing a scaled down Skyrim on mobile.

ES Blades

Revealed home screen for The Elder Scrolls: Blades

With The Elder Scrolls VI announced but still years away, that leaves a positive vibe. It was said back in 2016 that the technology to complete the game didn’t even exist yet, although the game editor is said to remain the same which should be a popular choice for those into modding. This is years away, but it’s something to look forward to at this point.

In addition to all of the other intellectual properties that Bethesda could work with, their first new IP in ten years is slated for release before 2021. News from the work on Starfield has reports of rewrites, production issues, and a CEO looking to capitalize any way they can (apparent with FO76’s in game currency). If Bethesda can manage to score a hit on their next game, steer clear of the EA pay-to-win train, and get the management in order then i think (I pray) there is hope for the future of the company.

So Where Does Bethesda Go From Here?

While we wait for a release of Skyrim for Roku, it’s up to additional content to satisfy players. More mods. More DLC. More sequels. With properties like WolfensteinDoom, and a cancelled sequel to Prey to work with, there should be plenty to branch out towards. Here’s hoping that 2019 brings good news to fans of Bethesda games and we can get back to doing nothing for ten hours a day.