Former Elder Scrolls writer Kurt Kuhlmann is ‘100% convinced’ a load-bearing bit of series lore was inspired by a typo
Former Bethesda writer Kurt Kuhlmann revealed on the FRVR Podcast that a significant piece of Elder Scrolls lore may have originated from a typo. During the discussion, Kuhlmann addressed “Dragon Breaks”—magical phenomena in the Elder Scrolls universe that distort time—and specifically the “Warp in the West,” the in-game explanation for how all endings of The Elder Scrolls Chapter 2: Daggerfall occurred simultaneously.
According to Kuhlmann, the Warp in the West concept stemmed from a timeline document created during Daggerfall’s development that contained a temporal gap. Kuhlmann stated he is “100% convinced” that a typo in this documentation eventually became a load-bearing element of the series’ lore rather than being corrected. The mistake was subsequently incorporated into the game’s narrative as an in-universe magical phenomenon.
This revelation highlights how minor oversights during development can inadvertently shape a game series’ mythology and world-building. For Elder Scrolls fans, the Warp in the West has remained a significant part of understanding how Daggerfall’s multiple branching endings fit into the broader timeline of Tamriel.