Bethesda's Todd Howard has been active on Reddit gathering community input for the development of Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, characterising himself as a "professional lurker" who values fan ideas. He has publicly praised the technical team behind Creation Engine 3, the next-generation engine that will power both upcoming franchises.

While Howard's engagement and optimism about the new technology signal the studio's commitment to these projects, the player community remains sceptical. Long-standing concerns about Bethesda's historical pattern of releasing games riddled with technical issues have led many fans to doubt whether a new engine will meaningfully address quality control. The discord between leadership enthusiasm and community apprehension underscores persistent trust issues stemming from past launches.