2022 will be a big year for fans of Bethesda thanks to Starfield. The upcoming sci-fi RPG is an all-new IP from Bethesda, and while fans have seen very little of the game so far, its concept and teasers from Bethesda make the game sound like it has a lot of promise. However, many Bethesda fans long for another RPG's release: The Elder Scrolls 6. Skyrim recently celebrated its 10th birthday, meaning more than a decade has passed since The Elder Scrolls got another core game. Although The Elder Scrolls 6 has been confirmed in development for many years, it has yet to see the light of day.
To be specific, nearly 1,500 days have passed since The Elder Scrolls 6 made its debut at E3 2018. While Bethesda has released a couple important details about the game over the years, it's generally a mystery; fans don't even know where the new Elder Scrolls title will take place. Considering discussion about its place in the Microsoft RPG release schedule, it also doesn't sound like fans will hear about The Elder Scrolls 6 for a long time. While the game is bound to succeed regardless of its release date, thanks to the franchise's notoriety and Bethesda's prowess, the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 is unbelievably long.
The Elder Scrolls 6 So Far
When The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced, Bethesda made it clear that the game wasn't anywhere near release. The E3 2018 teaser trailer didn't hint at even a vague release window or provide any specifics about the game's contents. At the time, The Elder Scrolls 6 was still in pre-production, meaning Bethesda didn't even have anything to show at the time. Nevertheless, the announcement was great news. Skyrim had dominated The Elder Scrolls for many years already, and fans were ready for something new.
Since then, Bethesda has revealed a few interesting things about The Elder Scrolls 6. For instance, The Elder Scrolls 6 shares its development engine, the Creation Engine 2, with Starfield, meaning the technical details of Starfield could set some standards for Bethesda's next big game. Bethesda game director and executive producer Todd Howard has also revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6 uses procedural generation to some extent, potentially helping Bethesda create a vast map and lots of environmental details. Unsurprisingly, The Elder Scrolls 6 is poised to be a day one title for Xbox Game Pass as well, and it may be Xbox exclusive in general thanks to Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.
Beyond scarce details like these, much of the information surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6 has to do with rumors and speculation. For instance, fans have spent years trying to decipher the setting of The Elder Scrolls 6, studying the game's teaser trailer closely and looking for clues in trailers for Starfield. It certainly seems possible that Bethesda has hinted at The Elder Scrolls 6's setting in Starfield trailers, but nothing concrete has emerged just yet. Bethesda has done a good job of keeping the lid on TES6's secrets so far.
Elder Scrolls 6 Has a Long Road Ahead
In spite of how long it's been since The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed, it doesn't sound like the game is getting close to release just yet. Not only is Starfield slated to release first, but Xbox head Phil Spencer has stated that Playground Games' Fable reboot will release before The Elder Scrolls 6. Since there's no confirmed release date for Fable either, aside from rumors that it could launch next year, that means The Elder Scrolls 6's fate is a total mystery for now too.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is likely to succeed no matter how long it takes to launch. With more than 30 million copies sold, Skyrim is one of the best-selling video games to date, meaning Bethesda has a broad base of fans who are eager to see where the franchise goes next. Bethesda is clearly aware of that, since it revealed The Elder Scrolls 6 early to assure Skyrim fans that the franchise's future was bright. Bethesda has shown no concerns about waning interest due to the long wait for the game, and that confidence ought to serve if well in the long run.
Still, when standing so far from the game's release, it's hard to say for sure if The Elder Scrolls 6 will be worth the wait. Very few games make fans wait the better part of a decade for their release, and those that do are under a tremendous amount of pressure to live up to expectations and make fans' patience worthwhile. The troubled legacy of Cyberpunk 2077 is a strong example of the risks that come with announcing a game so early and creating such a long wait for a demanded game. Bethesda may feel confident about The Elder Scrolls 6 for now, but the final result is what matters.
Bethesda's Possible Next Steps
Considering how much time has passed since TES6 was announced and how little has been revealed since then, it's very hard to predict what Bethesda will tease or announce next. Even when Starfield releases in November, Bethesda definitely won't pivot into Elder Scrolls news right away. Instead, it's bound to spend months or even years touting its accomplishments in Starfield and potentially releasing updates and DLC for the sci-fi game. One leaker has suggested that The Elder Scrolls 6 is a 2026 title, and if that's the case, it'll probably be at least another two years before Bethesda starts releasing proper trailers.
Although Starfield's release means new TES6 reveals are far away, Starfield does provide some general hope that Bethesda will discuss the game in creative ways outside of trailers. Concept art for Starfield has been plentiful in the last several months, and videos of Todd Howard discussing Starfield with other developers shed a lot of light on the game's core concepts, design principles, and so on. These behind-the-scenes looks at Starfield have been a great way of building interest in the game, so hopefully The Elder Scrolls 6 will get a similar treatment someday ahead of its eventual release. Even if the game remains a mystery on the whole, Bethesda could support it on its journey by giving fans just a taste of its contents.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.