Will Indiana Jones Hinder The Elder Scrolls 6 And Starfield Development?

With a new Indiana Jones game joining Bethesda's already packed lineup, which includes the highly anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, some have begun to wonder if the studio has stretched itself too thin. To quell those concerns, Bethesda's senior vice president of marketing Peter Hines took to Twitter to explain how the studio and its director, Todd Howard, would be focusing their talents to get all three titles to gamers on time.

Speculation about delays arose from fans' observations that Howard was prominently attached to many of Bethesda's highest-profile projects. Bethesda's official tweet announcing the new Indiana Jones project named Howard as the executive producer on the title, even though Howard already been established as a director for both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. Toss in speculation regarding Howard's involvement in Fallout 76 updates and the Fallout TV series, and the potential for overextension by both Howard and Bethesda becomes clear.

Thankfully, Peter Hines' tweet provided some much-needed clarification on how Howard's creative energy would be spent. Hines explains that although Howard is an executive producer on various Bethesda Games Studios projects, including the Fallout TV show, his main focus will be serving as the director of both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. Hines went even further, stating that both games "aren't affected by today's news."

Twitter wasn't the only place that Hines commented on Howard's involvement in the new Indiana Jones game. Bethesda's official blog post announcing the game ends with a quote from Hines, which states, "Todd is a lifelong Indy fan, and has been trying for over a decade to make this game. He's beyond excited to work with the award-winning MachineGames team, a perfect fit for Indy."

Howard's interest in the Indiana Jones series has been noted before. Hines clarified on Twitter that memorabilia observed in Howard's office was not a subtle tease for the game but merely a part of Howard's private collection, meaning that he's a longtime fan of the franchise. Beyond that, MachineGames has worked independently to develop the well-received Wolfenstein reboot and its sequel, so Howard's role may be more of an advisory one.

It should be reassuring for fans to hear that Bethesda's resources and Howard's focus are being managed effectively. While the disappointing release of Fallout 76 has shown that both the studio and its executive producer aren't infallible, it appears that The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, and the untitled Indiana Jones project are all receiving the time and attention they need.