Former Bethesda artist says ’every single developer’ has already brought up 95% of the complaints that made it to launch, but as Todd Howard told him, ‘we can’t do everything’
A former Bethesda artist has revealed that approximately 95% of the complaints present in the studio’s shipped games had already been identified and raised by developers during development. According to the artist, Todd Howard acknowledged this reality during a conversation, noting that the studio faces constraints that prevent addressing all known issues before launch, stating simply: “we can’t do everything.”
The comments provide rare insight into the gap between what game developers recognize as problems during the creation process and what ultimately reaches players. Bethesda has long cultivated a reputation for launching games filled with bugs and physics glitches—quirks that have become almost characteristic of the studio’s releases. However, the recent lukewarm critical reception of Starfield suggests this reputation has begun to shift beyond charm into concerns about more fundamental quality issues and subpar features.
The revelation highlights the real-world constraints—whether resource limitations, time pressures, or prioritization decisions—that game studios navigate when shipping products. It underscores the sobering reality that many launch-day problems are known quantities rather than oversights, reflecting difficult compromises developers must make to meet release deadlines.