Bethesda, one of gaming's most well-known developers, has found itself falling out of favor with players the last few years. The creator of the classic Elder Scrolls franchise and current developer of the Fallout franchise, Bethesda was once thought of as a sure-fire thing when it came to the RPG genre.
However, after Fallout 76 and other smaller mishaps, players aren't quite so keen to pin all of their RPG hopes and dreams on Bethesda anymore. While Fallout 76 has become something more resembling what many players expected of the Fallout title, it took a while to get there. That said, the next titles on Bethesda's agenda are an exciting prospect to many players.
Starfield
First up on Bethesda's list is its brand-new IP. Starfield is a return to the single-player RPG for the developer after Fallout 76's departure, but it brings players into an environment new to Bethesda: space. Starfield will have procedurally generated planets and is reportedly Bethesda's biggest game to date, according to Todd Howard. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot known about the title, but with it being Bethesda's first new IP in a while and a return to the single-player RPG, a lot of players are excited to see what's coming. But when it comes to anticipated titles on the way from Bethesda, Starfield is just the tip of the iceberg.
Indiana Jones
Next up for Bethesda after Starfield is a title it's publishing but not developing: Indiana Jones, developed by MachineGames of Wolfenstein fame. This game can actually be part of a redemption arc for both companies, considering MachineGames are the ones that developed Wolfenstein: Youngblood (alongside Arkane Studios and Panic Button Games), which wasn't received nearly as well as the other entries into the series. Once again, the game wasn't necessarily centered around single-player gameplay, and the game seemed to suffer as a whole because of it.
But the upcoming Indiana Jones game seems exciting. Absolutely nothing concrete is known about it yet and it's likely in the very early stages of development, but it'll be the first Indiana Jones game in quite a long time, the last coming out in 2009. MachineGames are already very well-suited towards creating a world set in the past after the Wolfenstein series, and the combat of that series has a chaotic charm that could be harnessed into some fun Indiana Jones moment right out of the movies.
The Elder Scrolls 6
Tidying up the hat trick is the sixth main installment of a series that needs little introduction: The Elder Scrolls. It's been almost a decade since The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, and it'll be well over a decade since Skyrim's release that TES6 releases. Regardless of the past, there are legions of fans that are absolutely clamoring for TES6, so anticipation for the game is going to be high. This could work against the game, a game getting super-hyped before release rarely works out, but that doesn't mean that would be TES6's fault.
This game could be the third in a row that Bethesda has a hand in that could all end up to be truly exciting titles. Each of them brings something completely unique to the table: Starfield is a new sci-fi IP that could go in absolutely any direction. Indiana Jones is a well-established character but has never been in the hands of a developer quite like MachineGames. And The Elder Scrolls 6 will be the first mainline Elder Scrolls content in a long, long time, possibly giving fans of the series a game to play for a decade after. After this hat trick, if it's pulled off, it's likely memories of recent missteps will fade.