Skyrim, Starfield veteran left Bethesda as internet hate would continue “even if The Elder Scrolls 6 is great”

Bethesda Game Studios has received a love/hate relationship with the internet for years. From the release of Oblivion’s horse armour to the launch of Starfield, the former golden child of the RPG genre received so much hate that some devs were even confronted in person. 

In a recent interview, former Skyrim, Fallout and Starfield developer Nate Purkeypile explained that the internet’s vitriol against Bethesda was partly to blame for their departure from the studio. Alongside a massive increase in meetings that limited creativity, the RPG veteran decided to create his own indie games instead. 

Will the internet hate Bethesda for Elder Scrolls 6? 

Speaking to PCG at GDC 2025, Purkeypile explained that the internet’s treatment of Bethesda was largely to blame for their departure. After the release of Fallout 76 and the hate developers received for the game, it was clear that the internet would always be harsh on the studio. 

Purkeypile explained that even if The Elder Scrolls 6 releases as a great RPG, it still won’t be good enough. Instead, countless video essays and death threats will still be lobbed at the developers for creating something that isn’t perfect. 

“Putting out Fallout 76 was a tough thing,” the former Bethesda developer said. “The internet can be really awful; even if The Elder Scrolls 6 is great, I’m sure there’s gonna be these hour-long YouTube videos and death threats yet again. So I didn’t really want to deal with that.”

The Skyrim, Fallout and Starfield developer explained that he moved to indie development to escape that level of “exposure”. By working for a studio like Bethesda, you instantly have a target on your back that you don’t have on your lonesome. 

“If you put out a game that people don’t like, you know the internet’s gonna treat you like they’re clubbing baby seals,” he said. “I was pretty sure that no matter what I didn’t put in a game, it wasn’t going to be anything like that with that level of exposure.”

Alongside continued support for Starfield, Bethesda is actively working on The Elder Scrolls 6. While the long-awaited RPG doesn’t have a release date, it’s smaller scale will hopefully lead to a more focused release than the studio’s last game. 

For more Bethesda news, read about why Skyrim’s PS3 version was a massive development hurdle for the studio. Additionally, listen to our interview with Elder Scrolls creator Ted Peterson.