Bethesda lead says in the "time between Fallout 4 and Starfield," the "one thing" the studio has learned is that "there is no one definition of an RPG"

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Bethesda lead says in the "time between Fallout 4 and Starfield," the "one thing" the studio has learned is that "there is no one definition of an RPG" News By Jordan Gerblick published 24 December 2025

"Look at Cyberpunk 2077, one of my favorite games. There are some people who don't call that an RPG"

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Oh no, the 'what makes an RPG' discourse has been reignited, thanks to Bethesda Game Studios veteran Emil Pagliarulo recently opening up that particular can of worms in an interview with GamesRadar+. It's the holidays, not Halloween, Emil, read the room.

Anyway, yes, people have been arguing for years about what parameters specifically define the RPG genre. Leveling systems, skills, customizable characters, those are all hallmarks of an RPG, but it's not uncommon for RPG developers to borrow all sorts of elements from other genres, making it trickier and trickier to nail down an exact definition. That's something, according to Pagliarulo, Bethesda learned at some point between releasing Fallout 4 and Starfield.

"The time between Fallout 4 and Starfield, [...] the one thing we really learned is there is no one definition of an RPG," Pagliarulo says. "Look at Cyberpunk 2077, one of my favorite games. There are some people who don't call that an RPG. So the concept of an RPG is always evolving, but does it mean that your game has traits, it has backgrounds, that it has dialog?

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"Does an RPG come from The Outer Worlds 2, where one wrong move in dialog can change everything? That's what some people consider an RPG. So it's really all over the map. And so what we focus on, we want to give players a good story."

Whatever the rules, there's no denying that BGS is one of the world's foremost RPG developers right now, and the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6 will be no different as the long-awaited sequel to one of the best RPGs of all time. I will not be commenting on this discussion any further. It's the holidays and I have eggnog to drink.

Todd Howard says Elder Scrolls 6 "most definitely" has more trees than Skyrim, and now I'm pinning Valenwood to the location conspiracy board

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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 Obsidian wants to establish the "Obsidian RPG" with games like The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed, not chase "what already exists" in competitors like Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077    Bethesda lead explains the biggest difference between writing Skyrim and Fallout is how you piece together the story    Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas lead Josh Sawyer says RPGs are "more interesting" grounded in reality: "Once things get too magical… it's impossible to bring it back down to Earth"    "RPGs can be divisive": Obsidian chats all things Avowed – how it overcame the Skyrim comparisons, why there's no Baldur's Gate 3-style romance, and what's next for the 2025 gem    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 boss hands The Outer Worlds 2 a "7/10," hopes Obsidian spends "all of Microsoft's money" on RPGs more like Fallout New Vegas and, also, like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2    Todd Howard "hadn't had a break in 20 years" when Fallout 4 came out, so he took a 3-month sabbatical to "go touch some grass"    Latest in RPGs Beloved Metroidvania Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is free until tomorrow    We're getting Divinity over more Baldur's Gate 3 because Larian devs weren't enjoying "doing the D&D thing"    Fallout 4 writer says interweaving quests makes the RPG "the most replayable of all the Fallout games"    Despite wanting Arc Raiders to win GOTY, Shroud admits Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is good after finally playing it    Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2 has already plummeted 75% just in time for the holidays    Divinity: Original Sin 2 star is excited about that "delicious" Divinity trailer, though Larian hasn't invited her back "yet"    Latest in News Bethesda lead says the "one thing" the studio learned making Starfield is that "there is no one definition of an RPG"    Bloober Team CEO says the studio's Nintendo-exclusive horror game adds a new twist "that could only exist on Nintendo hardware"    GTA Tokyo nearly happened until the idea fizzled out: "It doesn't make sense to set it in some left-field location for novelty"    Industry analysts are "extremely concerned about" console prices, wouldn't be shocked if the Nintendo Switch 2 costs more in 2026    007: First Light delayed 2 months for additional polish, IO says it's the studio's "most ambitious project to date"    GTA 6 likely won't cost $100, ex-Rockstar technical director says, and it's all thanks to GTA Online    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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