At E3 2018, Bethesda made two big announcements about its next major game releases. At the show, Bethesda officially announced its ambitious open world sci-fi RPG Starfield, showing little more than a logo, and it did the exact same thing for the highly-anticipated Elder Scrolls 6. Fast-forward to 2022, and Starfield has finally received its first gameplay presentation, giving fans a much better idea of what they can expect from the game, while Elder Scrolls 6 has been nowhere to be seen.
The Starfield gameplay reveal showcased a variety of the features that players can look forward to once the game launches next year. This includes the ability to customize and fly one's own ship, build outposts, recruit companions, and explore over 100 solar systems with thousands of planets. Bethesda gave fans a look at some of the planets they can explore in Starfield, with one looking very familiar.
Reddit user Quasimofo170 pointed out how one of the Starfield planets looked a lot like the mountainous region that Bethesda showed when announcing The Elder Scrolls 6. While they're not exact matches, they do look very similar, leading some fans to theorize that this was meant as a deliberate Easter egg on the part of Bethesda, while others believe that it's just a coincidence or a case of assets being reused.
It wouldn't be surprising at all if Starfield does have Elder Scrolls Easter eggs when players finally get their hands on it. Bethesda games are full of Easter eggs, and so there's no reason to assume that Starfield will be any different. Starfield's massive scope may make it much more difficult for fans to find all the Easter eggs hidden in the game, but that should only help with its longevity.
Starfield is being billed as Bethesda's most ambitious game to date, and so expectations are high. Bethesda's track record speaks for itself, though it's worth pointing out that the company's latest big release, Fallout 76, was a flop with critics and fans alike. Bethesda needs to rebuild its reputation with its core audience, so it will be interesting to see if Starfield is able to accomplish that goal or if we'll have to wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 for Bethesda to return to form.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is Bethesda's next major project after Starfield is launched. Very little is known about The Elder Scrolls 6 in an official capacity, though fans have plenty of theories about its setting and story. Bethesda fans can look forward to playing Starfield next year and learning more about the game in the months ahead while they wait for more official info on Elder Scrolls 6.
Starfield launches in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X.