Did Todd Howard Just Take a Subtle Swipe at Rockstar as GTA 6 Delays Again?

Quick heads-up from the games side: Todd Howard just told GQ that Elder Scrolls 6 is still a ways off. That stings. And yes, the way he talked about release timing sure sounded like a quiet contrast to Rockstar and its very public GTA 6 timeline.

What Howard actually said

Howard explained he is not into announcing games years in advance and then making everyone stare at teaser trailers forever. His preferred move is the opposite: reveal late, release soon.

'I like to just announce stuff and release it.'

'My ideal version is: it will be a while and then, one day, the game just appears.'

He also pointed to Oblivion Remastered as a kind of test case for that approach — a low-fanfare drop that, by his account, worked. The suggestion is clear: future Bethesda Game Studios titles could follow that playbook.

Is that a swipe at Rockstar? Probably not… but the timing is loud

Howard never called out another studio. Still, the remarks landed right after Rockstar shifted GTA 6 again, beyond the May 2025 window it previously floated. That contrast is hard to miss. Rockstar has leaned into long hype cycles, multiple teases, and date moves. Howard basically said he wants the inverse: shorter marketing, fewer promises, less waiting.

Meanwhile, where is Elder Scrolls 6?

Here is the awkward part: Elder Scrolls 6 was teased back in 2018, and as of now, Howard says it is still years away. So even though he prefers shadowy rollouts and quick launches, the next Elder Scrolls is nowhere near that stage.

Why the long road? Part of it is pressure and polish. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said full development on GTA 6 only really kicked into gear around 2020, and that game aimed for fall 2025 before getting pushed — because a generational blockbuster has to feel like one. Bethesda is in a similar boat. After Starfield landed mixed for a lot of players (especially given how personal a project it was for Howard), you can feel the studio taking extra time to make sure Elder Scrolls 6 doesn’t whiff on the Skyrim-level expectations.

• 2018: Elder Scrolls 6 gets its first tease.
• 2025: Howard says it is still years out; no date.
• Oblivion Remastered: dropped with minimal runway; Howard called it a test run for quicker releases.
• GTA 6: Zelnick says full dev ramped around 2020; it targeted fall 2025, then got delayed again for more polish.
• Philosophies: Rockstar plays the long hype game; Howard says he wants shorter, quieter campaigns that end with a near-immediate launch.

Bottom line

Howard is preaching less sizzle, more steak — reveal late, release soon — and using Oblivion Remastered as proof of concept. But Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t close, so nobody should hold their breath. Given the expectations (Skyrim’s shadow is enormous) and Starfield’s mixed reception, taking the time makes sense. Whether Bethesda can actually pull off that surprise-drop dream when the game is finally ready is the interesting part.

Where do you land: do you want the long drip-feed of trailers or the sudden, out-of-nowhere launch? Tell me below.