An Obsidian Elder Scrolls Spin-Off Is Something We Deserve But Never Got

23.12.2023 - 22:25 / screenrant.com / Chris Avellone

There is no doubt that series is massively successful, with five main games and a handful of smaller and online additions to the family. However, recently it has been revealed that there were almost spin-offs that would have bridged the gap between the main games. Upon hearing the news, many were understandably disappointed that this had never happened, and it got others dreaming of what could have been.

is a huge fantasy RPG series from Bethesda that started back in 1994 with continuing on through to and. From there, the world has been expanded with each new installment, with the most recent addition,, continuing to engage with players having been released over 15 times in various versions. Amazingly, the universe of could have been even bigger, but Bethesda stopped this idea before it even got off the ground.

Responding to an article by , Obsidian Entertainment's co-founder Chris Avellone posted confirmation on his X (formerly Twitter) that spin-off games were pitched to Bethesda. Avellone explains that Obsidian intended for them to serve the same function that has served within the franchise and act as bridges between the main Bethesda installments. Alas, Bethesda turned down Obsidian's offer, with many, including Avellone, believing that the reason was ' reception.

Avellone explains in his post that the idea was inspired by the series, with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games each taking turns producing the next title in the series. The idea that was pitched to Bethesda was that while Bethesda would continue to create the core releases, Obsidian would make separate games to bridge the gap between them. Avellone notes that these would have taken place in the same main universe or even divergent timelines.

These games could have linked to the main canon timeline of the as much as Bethesda wanted them to. They could have acted as bridges between the core games, followed events in different areas of the world, or even taken place in different eras. Avellone notes that the main intention was to provide more adventures, which would have benefited the players as well as both studios.

However, the answer from Bethesda was no, and Avellone mentions that he felt that Bethesda was never happy with how was received. It is clear whether that is a reference to the unfinished and bug-filled state in which was launched after a very short development cycle. Although many speculate it instead refers to the player base's preference for Obsidian's installment over Bethesda's, with much of the fan base pointing to as an example of better writing.

Much of what Avellone alludes to, particularly the expansion of the shared universe, is currently being accomplished by, which has managed not only to tell its