What you need to know
- YouTuber MrMattyPlays recently interviewed Todd Howard, the director and executive producer of Bethesda Softworks, the studio behind critically acclaimed franchises such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Starfield.
- During the interview, Todd Howard suggests that Bethesda Softworks is not busy remastering classic Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, as it is currently prioritizing developing DLC content for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI.
- The Fallout franchise is currently experiencing a resurgence thanks to the success of the Fallout TV Show, with tens of thousands of people playing Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas and more.
On June 16, 2024, Bethesda Softworks director and executive producer Todd Howard was interviewed by YouTube content creator MrMattyPlays. The interview covered many topics, from Bethesda’s plans for The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series to future DLC content updates for Starfield.
A particularly interesting topic that came up was when Matty asked Todd Howard if Bethesda would be interested in modernizing or porting older Fallout games like Fallout 1 and Fallout 2. Todd Howard responded by saying that they are being given more priority to make sure ensuring that these classic games can be played and run properly on current generation PC hardware rather than being updated or modified with modern gaming sensibilities.
Todd Howard doesn’t want to risk tarnishing the charm of these older titles with modern quality of life features and graphics, and he wants people to experience them as they were when they were made.
With this statement, Todd Howard has poured some cold water on the rumored Fallout 3 remaster that reportedly came about via a leak last year. By extension, Todd Howard’s comments about not wanting to keep older titles could also indicate that the rumored remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion may not materialize either, due to the focus on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI . Maybe they can still be outsourced? After all, Bethesda recently updated Fallout 4. But Fallout 3 or Oblivion would undoubtedly be a much bigger undertaking, and both games already benefit from FPS Boost and other improvements on Xbox Series S and X.
Right now, Bethesda Softworks is currently focused on preparing future content for Starfield following the upcoming DLC expansion, Shattered Space, due out sometime in 2024, as well as developing the next major entry in the Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls VI.
Kudos to Todd Howard for wanting to keep classic games as they are
While I never grew up playing the classic Fallout games originally developed by Interplay Entertainment, I have to give credit to Todd Howard and the rest of Bethesda for wanting to keep these titles as they are, and just making sure they work well on modern hardware.
By adapting iconic games like these with updated graphics and quality of life improvements, you risk taking away the charm and challenging fun factor that made these games so beloved in the first place. Not to mention that experiencing the outdated mechanics of these earlier games will give new players a greater appreciation for how far the Fallout series has come since then.
The Fallout franchise is currently experiencing a massive resurgence thanks to the popularity of the Fallout TV Show (check out our review of the show’s first season to see how it managed to do so), with tens of thousands of people currently playing games like Fallout. 4 and Fallout 76 according to SteamDB.
If you’re a new Fallout fan and want to experience the roots of one of the best PC gaming franchises, Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are currently available separately or bundled in the Fallout Classics Collection on various digital platforms.