According to former Bethesda dev Bruce Nesmith, pretty much all decisions about the team's games "run through" Todd Howard, even if the studio head doesn't want that.
Nesmith recently spoke with the YouTube channel MinnMax about all things Bethesda, including when we can expect to hear more about The Elder Scrolls 6. In the interview, he explained his reasoning behind leaving Bethesda, noting it was in part due to just how big the studio had gotten. "There were a lot of changes going on and the structure of the company also was such that, half because of the pandemic and half just because of the necessary changes, you didn’t get to interact with Todd as much anymore," Nesmith explained.
Nesmith doesn't seem to hold any kind of grudge against Howard though, saying, "When you’re running six different studios and you've got a dozen projects going on at a time, he’s only one man." While Howard might be responsible for a whole lot more than he used to, that doesn't mean he isn't overseeing most of the creative decisions being made. "All decisions run through Todd. He would hate, hate, hate me for saying that because he doesn’t believe it’s true. But unfortunately, it is true."
