In the modern gaming industry, spinoffs and sequels are dominating the market. Among them, one of the biggest names is The Elder Scrolls. Every sequel of the game has been met with great affection and attention from players and industry critics.
However, there was one spinoff idea that Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda could have taken. There was speculation (later confirmed) about the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim spinoff which will be inspired by the fast-paced action of Call of Duty.
Exploring Alternative Paths after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
In response to many speculations, Chris Avellone, a former writer at Obsidian Entertainment confirmed that there was a discussion and pitched an idea to create a The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim spinoff which was later canceled. The idea was to take the rich lore and vast landscapes of Tamriel and then give it a spin by having fast-paced action like Call of Duty. Avellone said:
I thought it couldn’t hurt to try and push a similar system to what Treyarch/Activision had going with Call of Duty at the time (but hopefully less rushed).
What makes this proposed spinoff even more interesting is its inspiration was Call of Duty. The Call of Duty franchise is synonymous with engaging action, adrenaline-fueled combat, and tight gameplay. These elements in the world of Skyrim would have been fresh and innovative.
Avellone said that it was true that he was the one to propose the Skyrim spinoff which would have served the same as The Elder Scrolls Online. But he knew that Bethesda was not interested in the idea from the start, even though a game like Fallout New Vegas was doing well.
He wanted to create a game that would push the boundaries of action games. But his only concern was that they don’t rush the games as Treyarch/Activision did with many Call of Duty Titles and ruin the game with many technical errors or short campaigns.
Community Speculation and Anticipation
The mere mention of a Skyrim spinoff inspired by Call of Duty is a very interesting idea. This idea ignited anticipation within the gaming community. But fans still discussed their hopes for such a project.
Innovation is the key to success, and in this ever-changing industry, sequels and spinoffs are some of the most popular and anticipated games. Bethesda might have missed their opportunity to capture audiences with this unique idea and push the industry forward.
Of course, it’s important to maintain some reasoning as game development is not a simple process. Developers have many ideas but usually, the market trend and countless other factors determine what games to release and what will forever remain a concept. In the end, let’s hope we get a new and innovative concept added to The Elder Scrolls franchise in ways we never thought were possible.
