What do you need to know
- YouTuber MrMattyPlays recently interviewed Todd Howard, 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 working on remastering the classic Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, as it is currently focusing on developing DLC ​​content for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI.
- The Fallout series is currently enjoying a resurgence thanks to the success of the Fallout TV Show, with tens of thousands of people playing games like Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and more.
On June 16, 2024, Todd Howard, director and executive producer of Bethesda Softworks, interviewed 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.
One particularly interesting topic that came up was when Matty asked Todd Howard if Bethesda would be interested in upgrading or porting older Fallout games like Fallout 1 and Fallout 2. Todd Howard replied that they have a higher priority in getting that done , to make these classic games playable and run well on current PC hardware, rather than being updated or modified for modern gaming sensibilities.
Todd Howard doesn’t want to risk tarnishing the magic of these older titles with modern quality features and graphics and 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 was rumored to happen via a leak last year. Additionally, Todd Howard’s comments about not wanting to keep the older titles could also indicate that a remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is probably not happening either, due to the focus on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI. Maybe they could still be outsourced, right? After all, Bethesda recently touched on 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 the Xbox Series S and X.
Right now, Bethesda Softworks is currently focused on preparing future content for Starfield after the upcoming DLC ​​expansion Shattered Space, which will be released sometime in 2024, and developing the next big entry in the Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls VI.
Kudos to Todd Howard for wanting to keep classic games the way they are
While I never grew up on the classic Fallout games originally developed by Interplay Entertainment, I have to give Todd Howard and the rest of Bethesda respect for wanting to keep these titles as they are and just make sure they run well on modern hardware.
Tweaking iconic games like these with updated graphics and quality-of-life improvements can run the risk of removing the charm and challenging fun factor that made these games popular. Not to mention, experiencing the old mechanics of those earlier games will give new players a greater appreciation for how far the Fallout series has come since then.
The Fallout series 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 did), 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 game series, Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are currently available to buy individually or together in the Fallout Classics Collection on various digital platforms.