Elder Scrolls Online Studio Head Acknowledges Skyrim's Profound Impact

In a recent interview at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Matt Firor, the head of studio for The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), reflected on the profound impact of Skyrim on the development and evolution of ESO. Firor acknowledged that Skyrim, which was released before ESO and set a new standard for open-world gaming, forced the team to make significant changes to their approach.

(Photo : ZeniMax Online Studios / Screenshot taken from Steam.)

A Game-Changer for ESO Development

Firor emphasized that when development on ESO began 17 years ago, Skyrim wasn't in existence, and Bethesda, the game's developer, was considerably smaller. However, the launch of Skyrim drastically altered players' perceptions of what an Elder Scrolls game should be, prompting the ESO team to reevaluate their project.

"When Skyrim did launch, it had a massive effect on ESO because suddenly everyone's perception of what an Elder Scrolls game is changed, and we had to change because of that," Firor explained. "The game that we were working on that was ESO wasn't viable anymore. And we had to radically change lots of things."

The success and popularity of Skyrim, with its immersive world and captivating gameplay, raised the bar for ESO's development team. They realized that to compete effectively, they needed to adapt their game to meet the evolving expectations of Elder Scrolls fans.

Adapting to Changing Player Preferences

Firor also addressed the challenge of competing with other projects within Bethesda's portfolio, hinting at the development of future Elder Scrolls titles like The Elder Scrolls 6. While he didn't delve into specifics about other projects, he emphasized the importance of understanding and meeting the expectations of different types of gamers.

"I'm very cognizant of making sure that every type of gamer has a home in the kind of games that we're working on and expectations are met, because I've went through that once already," Firor said.