Skyrim Lead Designer Calls Open Worlds “Almost a Cliché” and Credits Player Agency for Its Lasting Success

Fourteen years after its release, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim remains one of the most active and celebrated RPGs in gaming. Despite countless re-releases and a new generation of open-world titles, the snowy province of Tamriel continues to draw thousands of players daily. Skyrim’s lead designer Bruce Nesmith believes that this ongoing popularity has less to do with nostalgia and more to do with freedom.

Speaking on the FRVR Podcast, Nesmith described his continued surprise at Skyrim’s enduring presence in gaming culture.

“By all rights, a year later, some other game should have eclipsed it. And then two years later, three years later, five, ten. It’s like ‘what the hell is going on here?’” — Bruce Nesmith

He added that Bethesda director Todd Howard would occasionally show him concurrent player numbers long after the game’s initial release.

“‘You’ve got to be kidding me? Seriously, ten years later,’” Nesmith said, recalling his reaction to seeing those figures.

The staying power of Skyrim has become something of a phenomenon. Originally launched in 2011, the game’s constant presence in the public eye is fueled by its community of modders, who continue to add new life to the world of Tamriel. Some of these fan projects have expanded into full-scale experiences, adding regions, quests, and systems that rival commercial expansions.

SteamDB currently reports that the Skyrim Special Edition maintains over 24,000 concurrent players on Steam. That’s an extraordinary number for a 14-year-old single-player RPG and more than ten times the current active player count for Oblivion Remastered.

When asked what gives Skyrim its lasting appeal, Nesmith attributed it to a clear development philosophy that centered on player agency.

“We didn’t put anything off limits. We didn’t try to manage the experience … it was a player-driven experience. And very, very few games have mastered that because open world is now almost a cliché statement. ‘Oh yeah, we have open world,’” — Bruce Nesmith

According to Nesmith, the team’s intent was to let players approach the world however they wanted. Whether climbing mountains out of curiosity or following a random path into a dungeon, Skyrim encouraged exploration rather than controlling the experience. That freedom, he said, continues to set the game apart from many modern titles that claim to offer open-world design.

The comment reflects a broader conversation about what “open world” actually means today. Since Skyrim’s release, the genre has expanded rapidly, with studios across the industry using the term as a selling point. Yet Nesmith’s perspective suggests that many of these newer games fail to provide the same sense of agency that defined Skyrim’s design.

The contrast is evident when compared to earlier Elder Scrolls games such as Morrowind and Daggerfall. While those entries offered more mechanical flexibility—allowing players to eliminate nearly any NPC or create highly specific builds—Skyrim shifted its focus toward creating a more reactive and discoverable world. Every step through its tundras and mountain passes could lead to an unexpected event, dungeon, or side quest, rewarding spontaneous exploration rather than linear progression.

Nesmith’s statement arrives as Skyrim nears its 14th anniversary, a milestone few games achieve with such a large and active audience. Its success extends far beyond its original release window. The community’s dedication continues to grow, particularly through the modding scene, which has kept the game relevant long after other titles have faded from view.

Recent large-scale fan projects—like the decade-in-development mod that introduces a new region, 50 dungeons, and an extensive main quest—demonstrate that the appetite for Skyrim content remains strong. These creations often serve as reminders of how much freedom the base game offered players, and why it continues to inspire so many to build upon it.

The enduring interest also seems to be influencing Bethesda’s broader portfolio. With The Elder Scrolls VI still in active development, the design philosophy that made Skyrim thrive is likely to remain a reference point for how the studio approaches open-world mechanics and player control in future projects.

As of this month, Skyrim’s player numbers still place it among the most-played RPGs on Steam. For Bruce Nesmith, the secret to that success is simple: players were never told how to experience the game, only given the tools to do so on their own terms.