Former Arkane Studios co-directors Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith revealed that Bethesda approached the studio to create Thief 4 or a Blade Runner game before it made the first Dishonored.
The pair discussed the near-miss projects during a conversation earlier this week. Colantonio said Bethesda told the studio it had the Thief franchise and knew the right team to make the game. He described the offer as presenting two appealing options that were hard to choose between.