Todd Howard's exclusive 1,000G Xbox achievement appears after years of secrecy

After years of secrecy, we can now get a glimpse of Todd Howard's ultra-rare achievement, as his exclusive 1,000 Gamerscore Xbox achievement has been revealed.

Tom West

Published 19 Aug 2024

Back in 2020, head of Bethesda Todd Howard revealed that Microsoft made him his own game to commemorate his Lifetime Achievement Award at GDC 2016 and the awesome Xbox RPGs he has had a hand in building over the years. This game unlocked an exclusive achievement when loaded up, and until now the game and achievement have always been hidden away. We've now picked it up, offering us a chance to admire Todd Howard's exclusive 1,000 Gamerscore Xbox achievement.

Todd Howard's "Lifetime" Xbox achievement has been revealed

todd howard 1000 gamerscore xbox achievement

When Microsoft announced that it had acquired Bethesda in 2020, Todd Howard spoke about the many industry awards that he had won during his many years in the industry, revealing that Microsoft had even made him his very own achievement.

"I joked in my acceptance 'I wonder how many achievement points this one is worth?' At the end of the ceremony, some good friends from Microsoft congratulated me and said they'd find out," Howard said. "A few months later, I was given a code to a game they had created, named after me and locked to my account. When ran, it unlocks a single achievement — 'Lifetime — 1,000pts.' It still sits in my list when I check, and I smile every time."

While the game, titled Todd Howard, is still very much a mystery, we've now picked up the elusive Xbox achievement, called "Lifetime." According to the description, the achievement "Reflects on the amazing craft of Todd Howard and his team in making worlds as real as any on Earth." Interestingly, Microsoft bent its own rules for this achievement, hopping over its 200G cap to award Howard a whopping 1,000 Gamerscore for the single achievement — just for booting up the game!

There you have it, one of the rarest achievements in the world. Howard has helped bring some of the most beloved games to our screens, and he isn't done yet. Check out everything we know about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle ahead of its launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC later this year.

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Written by Tom West

Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.