Skyrim dev explains why it still reigns supreme: “Open world has become a cliché”

The lead designer of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bruce Nesmith, shared his insights on why the cult-classic RPG continues to reel players in nearly 14 years after its release in 2011. He stated that its open-world design and unrestricted player agency are quintessential elements of its enduring appeal.

In a recent interview on the FRVR, Nesmith expressed his surprise at the game’s popularity, recalling how Bethesda’s Todd Howard would periodically share concurrent player statistics that left him baffled, even a decade later.

This is true as Skyrim’s Special Edition maintains an average concurrent player count of 25,000 to 30,000 at any given time, figures that dwarf other titles like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which Skyrim outperforms by more than ten times in active users.

Skyrim’s enduring engagement is remarkable, especially considering its age, in an era dominated by live-service titles that continue to receive content updates, like Bethesda’s Fallout 76 and Starfield.

Nesmith credits Skyrim’s success to its unique handling of open-world mechanics, which he believes have set a bar that few games have mastered to replicate. He described the term “open world” as having become “almost a cliche statement” in modern gaming, where developers frequently tout the feature without delivering the depth or freedom that Skyrim gives to its players.

Nesmith explained, “I think Skyrim did the open world in a way that nobody had ever done before and very few people have really tried to do it since.” Nesmith further stated that the development team embraced quirkiness and unexpected events, sometimes dismissed as bugs, to preserve the game’s charming gameplay.

Instead of smoothing out every imperfection, the developers shifted their priorities to functionality. They accepted certain behaviors as trade-offs for unrestricted player freedom, resulting in a world brimming with reactive characters and AI, creating genuine surprise encounters and personal storytelling.

Nesmith further added that the team “didn’t put anything off limits” and avoided managing player experience. This meant giving players a “toolbox” to tinker with and create their own adventures. Nesmith said, “We let it be your experience; it was a player-driven experience.”