While not much information is available for The Elder Scrolls VI yet, this article will serve as a hub that will be updated as more news comes out.
The Elder Scrolls VI has been requested by fans for a long time now, and thanks to the E3 2018 announcement, we finally have confirmation that Bethesda intends to develop it. Unfortunately, we just aren’t sure when that will be. Bethesda’s Todd Howard has indicated that the studio’s focus will be on Starfield first and then will shift to Elder Scrolls VI, so it looks like we will have to wait just a little bit longer.
However, a job listing from Bethesda could hint that Starfield development is wrapping up and the focus could now shift to Elder Scrolls VI. But with E3 2020 canceled, and Bethesda confirming it won’t be doing an online presentation, it’ll likely be at least a few months before we hear more.
Even though we don’t have an official release date for the Elder Scrolls VI, we do know a little bit about where it could take place, thanks to some dedicated fans. Further, we can likely expect to see some of the same races from previous games make appearances in the sixth installment of the franchise. Keep reading for more details on everything we know about Elder Scrolls VI.
When is the Elder Scrolls 6 Release Date?
At the time of writing, a release date for Elder Scrolls VI has not been announced. While the game has been confirmed by Bethesda, it seems the next installment in the franchise won’t be coming anytime soon. Speaking to IGN, Bethesda’s Todd Howard indicated that Elder Scrolls VI wouldn’t happen until Bethesda’s Starfield was released, which also doesn’t have a release date at the time of writing.
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Howard confirmed that the Elder Scrolls VI would not be launching on the Xbox One and PS4 console generation, indicating that it will likely see an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 release.
“We had done so many things, we were going Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and you have this Starfield game in your head and you sorta say, well, when?… We are creatives, and we have to make this game and this is the time, and so Elder Scrolls VI is gonna have to wait a little bit,” said Howard.
What Does Elder Scrolls 6 Gameplay Look Like?
At the time of writing, there have been no gameplay trailers or new feature announcements for Elder Scrolls VI. However, in our interview with Todd Howard, he said, “This is a game we need to design for people to play for a decade at least.” He continued, “When they [the players] eventually see the game and what we have in mind, they’ll understand the gap more in terms of technology and what we wanted to do.”
Location
At E3 2018, Bethesda showed a short teaser trailer for Elder Scrolls VI, which seems to suggest the location of the game. The teaser shows off a fog-filled valley, an old ruined fort, a city along the water’s edge, and a coastline, which leads us to believe The Elder Scrolls VI location could be set in High Rock.
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While this doesn’t sound like much to go on, if you look at all of the locations in Tamriel, these landmarks seem to line up with the descriptions of High Rock. However, some fans also think that the game could be set in Hammerfell, which is located along the southern border of High Rock.
While theories can be presented, we won’t be able to officially say where the Elder Scrolls VI takes place until Bethesda reveals more information.
Races
At the time of writing, there has been no announcement from Bethesda about which races will appear and be playable in Elder Scrolls VI. There were ten races in Skyrim, all of which made appearances in previous titles. It seems likely that some, if not all, of these races will also appear in Elder Scrolls VI. However, we will have to wait for more information from Bethesda before we can say for sure.
More Elder Scrolls 6 News
At E3 2018, Bethesda officially announced Elder Scrolls VI with a short teaser trailer. While Bethesda was present at E3 2019, the studio said that it would not be discussing Elder Scrolls VI at its keynote.
With E3 2020 canceled due to COVID-19, some developers and publishers have elected to hold their own digital conference or participate in IGN’s Summer of Gaming event. However, on April 1, Bethesda’s Pete Hines announced that the studio would not be holding a digital showcase in June, but promised that it had “lots of exciting things to share about our games” and looked “forward to telling you more in the coming months.”
In January 2019, long-time Elder Scrolls composer Jeremy Soule shared that he was “currently not involved with TES VI,” as Bethesda hadn’t brought him on board yet. However, Soule’s noted that this could simply be because the title was far away from release and denied any rumors of “foreboding.”
“I would never turn my back on TES,” said Soule. “I believe that my involvement would hinge on a creative decision on their part and where they want to take the franchise.”
In 2018, the Skyrim community began a petition to have 82-year-old YouTuber and Skyrim aficionado Shirley Curry, AKA “Skinny Grandma” as an NPC in Elder Scrolls VI. The petition collected over 50,000 signatures and Bethesda has since announced that it will include Curry in the upcoming title as an NPC.
Elder Scrolls 6 Rumors
Spotted by a Redditor, Bethesda recently posted some job openings that seem to indicate that the studio is wrapping up the development of Starfield and is getting ready to start on Elder Scrolls VI.
The job listing states that “Bethesda Game Studios is looking for talented programmers to join our team that is pushing the bleeding-edge of RPG development for the PC and consoles.”
While this is merely speculation, it seems a bit late for the studio to be hiring developers for Starfield and could indicate that the long-awaited Elder Scrolls VI is finally in development.
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Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN and is ready to see some Elder Scrolls VI gameplay. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.
Source: IGN.com The Elder Scrolls VI: What We Know So Far