According to him, games of this scale require not only development time but also thorough polishing and bug fixing.
What do fans want: a game released ahead of time that doesn't meet expectations, or a 'turkey' (a metaphor for a dish that takes a long time to cook) that will be ready and delicious when it finally comes out?
He noted that examples like Cyberpunk 2077 and Fallout: New Vegas show how badly releasing an unfinished game can affect a studio's reputation. Games of this scale are created over years: Skyrim continues to receive ports 14 years after its release.
Pagliarulo confirmed that quality is more important than a quick release, including for The Elder Scrolls 6:
We will spend as much time as it takes to make the game great.