"When you make literally billions of dollars on Skyrim," Bethesda veteran would be "shocked" if Amazon's Fallout TV show makes the studio "any money they care about"

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"When you make literally billions of dollars on Skyrim," Bethesda veteran would be "shocked" if Amazon's Fallout TV show makes the studio "any money they care about" News By Jordan Gerblick published 3 February 2026

"What you're going to make by licensing the IP to this TV show is just peanuts"

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(Image credit: Skyrim)

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Prime TV's hit adaptation of Fallout is obviously the result of a collaboration between Amazon and Bethesda, the company holding the rights to the IP, but according to Bruce Nesmith, a former veteran of the studio who left in 2021, the money Bethesda makes from the TV show pales in comparison to what it earns from highly successful games like Skyrim.

"What you have to realize about things like the Fallout TV show is that they don't make Bethesda money directly," Nesmith told Press Box PR. "I would be shocked if Bethesda is making any money that they care about really, not when you make literally billions of dollars on Skyrim. What you're going to make by licensing the IP to this TV show is just peanuts."

So, why license out the rights to a beloved IP if you aren't making any substantial money directly? Well, the obvious benefit for Bethesda is the explosion of interest in that IP should an adaptation be successful, which the Fallout TV show has proven to be.

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• Fallout worked as a TV show because it's "unique," says former Skyrim lead – but The Elder Scrolls series might not
• Fallout's TV adaptation is "way more" popular than Todd Howard expected, so the RPG series' devs have had to ensure "the games are ready for all the players who are coming into them"
• After the success of Fallout, Bethesda boss Todd Howard says an Elder Scrolls TV series "can't be ruled out"

"What it gets you is notoriety. It's marketing. Do they really need marketing for Elder Scrolls 6?," Nesmith pondered. The answer is probably not, but it's also hard not to notice things like the entire Fallout game series being heavily discounted just as the TV show's highly acclaimed second season is wrapping up, for instance. Seems like a symbiotic relationship even if Amazon isn't directly sharing profits with Bethesda.

In other news, Elder Scrolls 6 will "most definitely" have more trees than Skyrim, according to Todd Howard himself.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Amazon Prime CATEGORIES PC Gaming Xbox Series X PS5 Nintendo Switch 2 Platforms Xbox PlayStation Nintendo Jordan GerblickSocial Links Navigation

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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Logout Read more Fallout worked as a TV show because it's "unique," says former Skyrim lead – but The Elder Scrolls series might not    Fallout's TV adaptation is "way more" popular than Todd Howard expected, so the RPG series' devs have had to ensure "the games are ready for all the players who are coming into them"    After the success of Fallout, Bethesda boss Todd Howard says an Elder Scrolls TV series "can't be ruled out"    Fallout creators wanted to buy the IP, but Bethesda sniped them with a $6 million bid: "They would have laughed"    Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says it's "very odd" to see characters he created in Amazon's TV show with "no credit"    Todd Howard knows it's "disappointing" there's no Fallout 5 to release with the show, but "it'll do great" when it gets here    Latest in The Elder Scrolls This Oblivion Remastered mod adds actual jobs to Bethesda's revamped RPG, in case you're not already sick of working IRL    Skyrim lead thinks it's "wiser" for Bethesda to use its Creation Engine for new games like Elder Scrolls 6    The Elder Scrolls fans fire back at Skyrim lead's fightin' words: Morrowind "manages to hold up better than Skyrim"    Fallout worked as a TV show because it's "unique," says former Skyrim lead – but The Elder Scrolls series might not    Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity dev says Morrowind with a modern combat system "would sell like f***ing hot cakes"    "Go back and play Morrowind and tell me that's the game you want to play again," says Skyrim lead: "You will cringe"    Latest in News Borderlands 4 Switch 2 port looks dead as Gearbox parent Take-Two "pauses development"    GTA 6 physical copies will not be delayed to avoid leaks, says Take-Two CEO: "That's not the plan"    GTA 6 release date seems locked in at last as Rockstar owner promises "launch marketing" starts this summer    Baldur's Gate 3 Shadowheart and Gale star in Magic: The Gathering's new D&D Secret Lair before they inevitably sell out    Oblivion Remastered studio worked on Fallout season 2, so Bethesda might as well toss them a Fallout 3 remaster    Bethesda veteran would be "shocked" if Amazon's Fallout TV show makes the studio "any money they care about"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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